use-icon

HOW TO USE THE DICTIONARY

To look up an entry in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, use the search window above. For best results, after typing in the word, click on the “Search” button instead of using the “enter” key.

Some compound words (like bus rapid transit, dog whistle, or identity theft) don’t appear on the drop-down list when you type them in the search bar. For best results with compound words, place a quotation mark before the compound word in the search window.

guide to the dictionary

use-icon

THE USAGE PANEL

The Usage Panel is a group of nearly 200 prominent scholars, creative writers, journalists, diplomats, and others in occupations requiring mastery of language. Annual surveys have gauged the acceptability of particular usages and grammatical constructions.

The Panelists

open-icon

AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY APP

The new American Heritage Dictionary app is now available for iOS and Android.

scroll-icon

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY BLOG

The articles in our blog examine new words, revised definitions, interesting images from the fifth edition, discussions of usage, and more.

100-words-icon

See word lists from the best-selling 100 Words Series!

Find out more!

open-icon

INTERESTED IN DICTIONARIES?

Check out the Dictionary Society of North America at http://www.dictionarysociety.com

gaff 1 (găf)
Share:
n.
1. A large iron hook attached to a pole or handle and used to land large fish.
2. Nautical A spar attached to a mast and used to extend the upper edge of a fore-and-aft sail.
3.
a. A sharp metal spur or spike fastened to the leg of a gamecock.
b. A climbing hook used by telephone and electric line workers.
4. Slang A trick or gimmick, especially one used in a swindle or to rig a game.
5. A tight-fitting undergarment designed to secure the male genitals between the legs and create the appearance of a smooth crotch.
6. Slang Harshness of treatment; abuse.
tr.v. gaffed, gaf·fing, gaffs
1. To hook or land (a fish) using a gaff.
2. To equip (a gamecock) with a gaff.
3. Slang
a. To take in or defraud; swindle.
b. To rig or fix in order to cheat: knew that the carnival games had been gaffed.

[Middle English gaffe, from Old French, from Old Provençal gaf, from gafar, to seize, of Germanic origin; see kap- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots. Noun, senses 4 and 5, and verb, senses 3a and 3b, probably from the spurred, ink-filled rings used by card sharpers to secretly mark cards.]
(click for a larger image)
gaff1

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
gaff 2 (găf)
Share:
n.
Chiefly British
1. A public place of entertainment, especially a cheap or disreputable music hall or theater.
2. Slang A house, building, or apartment, especially where one resides.

[Origin unknown.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.