gorge
/ɡɔːdʒ//ɡɔɹd͡ʒ/
gorge noun: the front aspect of the neck; the outside of the throat.
Noun (1)
gorge (plural gorges)
- The front aspect of the neck; the outside of the throat.
- His gall did grate for griefe and high diſdaine,
And knitting all his force got one hand free,
Wherewith he grypt her gorge with ſo great paine,
That ſoone to looſe her wicked bands did her co[n]ſtraine.1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 19, page 9
- His gall did grate for griefe and high diſdaine,
- The inside of the throat; the esophagus, the gullet; (falconry, specifically) the crop or gizzard of a hawk.
- I wil tel you, Scholer, that unleſs the hook be faſt in his [the trout's] very Gorge, he wil live, and a little time with the help of the water, wil ruſt the hook, & it wil in time wear away as the gravel does in the horſe hoof, which only leaves a falſe quarter.1653, Iz[aak] Wa[lton], chapter IV, in The Compleat Angler or The Contemplative Man’s Recreation. Being a Discourse of Fish and Fishing, […], London: […] T. Maxey for Rich[ard] Marriot, […], →OCLC...
- Gleam, a term uſed after a hawk hath caſt and gleameth, or throweth up filth from her gorge.1800, “Gleam”, in The Sportsman’s Dictionary; or, The Gentleman’s Companion: For Town and Country. […], 4th edition, London: printed for G. G. and J. Robinson, […]; by R. Noble, […], →OCLC, column 1
- The throat of a flower.
- Food that has been taken into the gullet or the stomach, particularly if it is regurgitated or vomited out.
- My gorge rises at the sight of it.
- And like a Crane his [Gluttony's] necke was long and fyne,
With which he ſwallow'd vp exceſſive feaſt,
For want whereof poore people oft did pyne,
And all the way, moſt like a brutiſh beaſt,
He ſpued vp his gorge, that all did him deteaſt.1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 21, page 51
- A choking or filling of a channel or passage by an obstruction; the obstruction itself.
- an ice gorge in a river
- An ice gorge had formed in the bed of the river at the head of the island and from bank to bank logs, driftwood, broken ice and giant floes were packed and jammed so tightly as to resist the action of the mighty current.1903, Zane Grey, chapter VII, in Betty Zane, New York, N.Y.: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers, →OCLC, page 133
- A concave moulding; a cavetto.
- GORGE, Gula, in architecture, the narroweſt part of Tuſcan and Doric capitals, lying between the aſtragal, above the ſhaft of the pillar and the annulets. […] It is alſo uſed for a concave moulding, larger, but not ſo deep as a ſcotia, which ſerves for compartments, &c.[1764, Temple Henry Croker, Thomas Williams, Samuel Clark [et al.], “GORGE”, in The Complete Dictionary of Arts and Sciences. …, volume I, London: Printed for the authors, and sold by J. Wilson & J....
- The rearward side of an outwork, a bastion, or a fort, often open, or not protected against artillery; a narrow entry passage into the outwork of an enclosed fortification.
- Half Moon. An Outwork conſiſting of two Faces, which makes an Angle Salient, the Gorge whereof bends in like a Bow, or Creſcent, and were formerly us'd to cover the Point of a Baſtion, which diſtinguiſhes them from Ravelins, always plac'd before the Curtin; […]1745, “Half Moon”, in An Introduction to the Art of Fortification. […], London: Printed for and sold by John Brindley, […], →OCLC, column 1
- Ramps lead from the gorges of the bastions down to these outlets into the main ditch. […] To keep open the communication between the bastions, a gallery between their gorges is made along the curtain wall.1874, D[ennis] H[art] Mahan, “Modifications Proposed in the Bastioned System”, in J. B. Wheeler, editor, An Elementary Course of Permanent Fortification, for the Use of the Cadets of the U.S....
- A primitive device used instead of a hook to catch fish, consisting of an object that is easy to swallow but difficult to eject or loosen, such as a piece of bone or stone pointed at each end and attached in the middle to a line.
- Hooks of willow wood or bone (often from wishbone) and copper gorges (thin bipointed rods with a fishline attachment in the middle) could be baited with fish scrap or meat.2001, Frederick Matthew Wiseman, “The Land Becomes Warm: The Years of the Log Ships (6,500 to 1,000 Winters Ago)”, in The Voice of the Dawn: An Autohistory of the Abenaki Nation, Hanover, N.H....
- Examining this piece of worked stone, which once belonged to a prehistoric man living in that valley, we find it fairly well polished, though the action of countless years has slightly "weathered" or disintegrated its once smooth surface. In the center, a groove has been cut, and the ends of the...2010, Barnet Phillips, “The Primitive Fish-hook”, in Nick Lyons, editor, The Best Fishing Stories Ever Told, New York, N.Y.: Skyhorse Publishing, →ISBN, part I (Early Days—of It and Us), page 7
- A deep, narrow passage with steep, rocky sides, particularly one with a stream running through it; a ravine.
- It is moreover certain that for eight or nine months of the year, the great rivers rush from their gorges into the mountains as torrents of clear water, or only, in the hot months, discoloured by fine glacial mud; […]1873 February, H[enry] B[enedict] Medlicott, “Sketch of the Geology of the North-west Provinces”, in Records of the Geological Survey of India, volume VI, part 1, Calcutta: Printed for the Government...
- As far as the eye can reach is a sea of green tree tops, with occasionally a deep rift where there is a chasm. Here and there are silver threads where the rivers wind in deep gorges through the forests.1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula, Westminster [London]: Archibald Constable and Company, […], →OCLC
- Synonyms:
- canyon
- The groove of a pulley.
- But as the rope muſt lead the pulley, or the pulley the rope, when there is room to apprehend that the rope may not ſlide upon the pulley, the gorge is hollowed in the form of an angle, or ſtuck with points,[…].1761 May, “Elements of Philosophy, […] Illustrating the Mechanical Powers of Balances, Levers, Pulleys, &c. and Some Observations as to the Center of Gravity and Equilibres. [Of Pulleys and Moufles...
- A cord, in passing round a pulley, lies in a groove, sometimes called the gorge of the pulley; if the object of the pulley is merely to support, guide, or strain the cord, the gorge may be considerably wider than the cord; if the pulley is to drive or to be driven by the cord, so as to transmit...1869, William John Macquorn Rankine, “Of Elementary Combinations in Mechanism”, in A Manual of Machinery and Millwork, London: Charles Griffin and Company, […], →OCLC, part I (Geometry of Machinery)...
- A whirlpool used as a heraldic charge.
- The heraldic name for whirlpools is gorges, and a mediaeval family called Gorges bore a whirlpool as its arms.1966, Charles Mackinnon of Dunakin, chapter 5, in The Observer's Book of Heraldry, London: Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd., page 77
- Synonyms:
- gurge
Verb
gorge (third-person singular simple present gorges, present participle gorging, simple past and past participle gorged)
- To stuff the gorge or gullet with food; to eat greedily and in large quantities.
- They gorged themselves on chocolate and cake.
- [I]f the preceding night prove dark and cloudy, the ſucceeding day, will be no good day to angle in, unleſs it be for ſmall fiſh; for at ſuch time the larger prey abroad for the leſſer; who by inſtinct knowing the danger, hide themſelves till the morning; and having faſted all night, become then...1735, “ANGLING”, in The Sportsman’s Dictionary: Or, The Country Gentleman’s Companion, in All Rural Recreations: […], volume I, London: Printed for C. Hitch, […], and C. Davis, […]; and S. Austen...
- To swallow, especially with greediness, or in large mouthfuls or quantities.
- Seiz'd by his [a lion's] stalwart teeth, at once | his victim's [a cow's] neck is broken:
Thereafter, swilleth he the blood, | and all her entrails gorgeth.1871, Homer, “Book XI. Disasters of Achaian Chiefs.”, in Francis W[illiam] Newman, transl., The Iliad of Homer: Faithfully Translated into Unrhymed English Metre, 2nd revised edition, London: Trübner... - If you use live bait, be exceedingly careful in determining when the fish has gorged it. You should give him several minutes after he has seized it, for this purpose. On seeing the bait, a pickerel will generally run off with it, and will then stop to gorge it, but does not always do so. […] But if...1875, “Fishing”, in Hunter’s & Trapper’s Complete Guide, a Manual of Instruction in the Art of Hunting, Trapping, and Fishing, with the Secrets of Making, Setting, and Baiting Traps, by an Old Hunter...
- Seiz'd by his [a lion's] stalwart teeth, at once | his victim's [a cow's] neck is broken:
- To fill up to the throat; to glut, to satiate.
- If in thy doting and decrepit age,
Thy ſoul, a ſtranger in thy youth to rage,
Begins in cruel deeds to take delight,
Gorge with my blood thy barb'rous appetite; […]a. 1701 (date written), John Dryden, “[Translations from Boccace.] Sigismonda and Guiscardo.”, in The Miscellaneous Works of John Dryden, […], volume III, London: […] J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson... - The giant, gorg'd with flesh, and wine, and blood,
Lay stretch'd at length and snoring in his den,
Belching raw gobbets from his maw, o'ercharged
With purple wine and curdled gore confus'd.a. 1720, Joseph Addison, “Milton’s Style Imitated, in a Translation of a Story out of the Third Æneid”, in The Dramatick Works of Joseph Addison. With the Authour’s Poems, on Several Occasions...
- If in thy doting and decrepit age,
- To fill up (an organ, a vein, etc.); to block up or obstruct; (US, specifically) of ice: to choke or fill a channel or passage, causing an obstruction.
- At the mouth of the river there is shoal water, in which the ice grounds, and in severe weather, it forms a point of support for successive floating masses, until it sometimes gorges up for many miles above the ferry of the railway line.1852 March, Ellwood Morris, “Notice of a Railroad upon an Ice Grade”, in John F[ries] Frazer, editor, Journal of the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania for the Promotion of the Mechanic...
- The morbid appearances left in the body after poisoning with carbonic acid gas have been chiefly observed in persons killed by charcoal vapour. […] the heart and great veins are gorged with black fluid blood; the eyes are generally glistening and prominent, the face red, and the tongue protruding...1836, Robert Christison, “Of the Poisonous Gases”, in A Treatise of Poisons, in Relation to Medical Jurisprudence, Physiology, and the Practice of Physic, 3rd edition, Edinburgh: Adam & Charles...
- Synonyms:
- engorge
Noun (2)
gorge (plural gorges)
- An act of gorging.
- To condition a hawk, feed it once in three days with as much meat as it can possibly stow away—which you will find a vast quantity, and more than necessary for a meal. This feast is known technically as a gorge. […] Between the gorges give only regular meals, and not by any means plentiful ones....1870 February, “American Falconry. A Royal Sport Proper for a Republican People.”, in [Thomas] Mayne Reid, editor, Onward: A Magazine for the Young Manhood of America, volume III, New York, N.Y....
- He would arm his mind with laughter, laughter is not quite the word but it will have to serve, at every point, then he would admit the idea and blow it to pieces. Smears, as after a gorge of blackberries, of hilarity, which is not quite the word either, would be adhering to his lips as he stepped...1934, Samuel Beckett, “Yellow”, in More Pricks than Kicks, London: Chatto and Windus, →OCLC; republished New York, N.Y.: Grove Press, 1972, →ISBN, page 164
Adjective
gorge (comparative more gorge, superlative most gorge)
- Gorgeous.
- Oh, look at him: isn’t he gorge?
- "Um, Hadley? Don't tell me that's another new outfit. It's totally gorge!” Sofia stopped me in the middle of the hallway to admire the clothes I'd meticulously picked out that morning.2013, Brittany [Lyn] Geragotelis, chapter 1, in Life’s a Witch, New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster BFYR, →ISBN, page 19
Proper noun capitalized: Gorge
Gorge
- A male given name.
gorge meaning in Tamil, Urdu, Malayalam and Kannada
gorge in Tamil
- நிரற்கழுத்து, ஆழ்பள்ளத்தாக்கு, மலையிடுக்கு, மலையிடைச்சந்து
gorge in Urdu
- درہ, گہری وادی, گلا, ہوکے سے کھانا
gorge in Malayalam
- മലയിടുക്ക്, തൊണ്ട, രന്ധ്രം
gorge in Kannada
- ಕಣಿವೆ, ಕಮರಿ, ಸರಿ, ಜರಿ, ಗಬಗಬನೆ ತಿನ್ನು, ಮಿತಿಮೀರಿ ತಿನ್ನು
More languagesFewer languages
- gorge in Odia
- ଗିରିଖାତ
- gorge in Assamese
- কুৰুং kurung
- gorge in Pashto
- کښت kux̌t, دره dará
- gorge in Arabic
- أُخْدُود ʔuḵdūd
- gorge in Malay
- gaung
- gorge in Indonesian
- gorge
- gorge in Persian
- گلو galu, گلوگاه galugâh, تنگه tange, دره darre
- gorge in Vietnamese
- hẻm núi
Examples of gorge in a sentence
- Now her worries about Charles Wallace and her disappointment in her father’s human fallibility rose like gorge in her throat.1962, Madeleine L’Engle, “Aunt Beast”, in A Wrinkle in Time, New York, N.Y.: Ariel Books, →OCLC; republished New York, N.Y.: Ariel Books...
- So Lyra clung to Pantalaimon and her head swam and her gorge rose, and cold as the night was, a sickly sweat moistened her flesh with something colder still.1996 April, Philip Pullman, “Fencing”, in The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials; 1), 1st US edition, New York, N.Y.: Alfred A. Knopf...
- Construction on this massive fort was never completed. […] Only the foundations and a few tiers of stone were completed on the two gorge walls and the gorge bastion.2018 June, John R. Weaver II, “New York City”, in A Legacy in Brick and Stone: American Coastal Defense Forts of the Third System...
- Among the many implements discovered are fish-gorges made of bronze wire.2010, Barnet Phillips, “The Primitive Fish-hook”, in Nick Lyons, editor, The Best Fishing Stories Ever Told, New York, N.Y.: Skyhorse...
Synonyms of gorge
Forms of gorge
| Noun | |
|---|---|
| plural | gorges |
| Verb | |
| third-person singular present | gorges |
| present participle | gorging |
| past participle | gorged |
| past | gorged |
| Adjective | |
| comparative | more gorge |
| superlative | most gorge |
| alternative form | gorg |
Origin of gorge
From Middle English gorge (“esophagus, gullet; throat; bird's crop; food in a hawk's crop; food or drink that has been eaten”), a borrowing from Old French gorge (“throat”) (modern French gorge (“throat; breast”)), from Vulgar Latin *gorga, *gurga, from Latin gurges (“eddy, whirlpool; gulf; sea”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *gʷerh₃- (“to devour, swallow; to eat”). The English word is cognate with Galician gorxa (“throat”), Italian gorga, gorgia (“gorge, ravine; (obsolete) throat”), Occitan gorga, gorja, Portuguese gorja (“gullet, throat; gorge”), Spanish gorja (“gullet, throat; gorge”). Doublet of gour and gurges.
The verb is derived from Middle English gorgen (“to eat greedily; to gorge”), a borrowing from Old French gorger, gorgier (modern French gorger (“to eat greedily; to gorge”)), from gorge (“throat”); see further at etymology 1. The noun is derived from the verb.
Clipping of gorge(ous); originally British slang.
Words formed from gorge
Phrases with gorge
Words that rhyme with gorge
Questions about gorge
- What does gorge mean?
- Gorge means the front aspect of the neck; the outside of the throat.
- What is gorge in Tamil?
- Gorge in Tamil is நிரற்கழுத்து, ஆழ்பள்ளத்தாக்கு, மலையிடுக்கு. See Gorge meaning in Tamil.
- How do you use gorge in a sentence?
- Now her worries about Charles Wallace and her disappointment in her father’s human fallibility rose like gorge in her throat.
- What part of speech is gorge?
- Gorge can be a noun, a verb, an adjective or a proper noun.
- How do you pronounce gorge?
- Gorge is pronounced /ɡɔːdʒ/ (UK).
- What is the plural of gorge?
- The plural of gorge is gorges.
Words near gorge in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: gorge (page history and authors); Gorge (page history and authors); gorge (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors); gorge (Urdu Wiktionary) (page history and authors); gorge (Malayalam Wiktionary) (page history and authors); gorge (Kannada Wiktionary) (page history and authors); gorge (Odia, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); কুৰুং (Assamese) (page history and authors); دره (Pashto) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-gorge.wav, en-us-gorge.ogg.
Cite this entry: “gorge.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/gorge. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.