gage

English Online Dictionary. What means gage‎? What does gage mean?

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡeɪd͡ʒ/
• Rhymes: -eɪdʒ
• Homophone: gauge

Etymology 1

From Middle English gage, from later Old French or early Middle French gager (verb), (also guagier in Old French) gage (noun), ultimately from Frankish *waddi, from Proto-Germanic *wadją (whence English wed). Doublet of wage, from the same origin through the Old Northern French variant wage. See also mortgage.

Verb

gage (third-person singular simple present gages, present participle gaging, simple past and past participle gaged) (transitive)

1. To bind (someone) by pledge or security; to engage.
2. (archaic) To bet or wager (something).
3. (obsolete) To deposit or give (something) as a pledge or security; to pawn.

Noun

gage (plural gages)

1. Something, such as a glove or other pledge, thrown down as a challenge to combat (now usually figurative).
2. (obsolete) Something valuable deposited as a guarantee or pledge; security, ransom.

Translations

Etymology 2

See gauge.

Noun

gage (plural gages)

1. (US) Alternative spelling of gauge (“a measure, instrument for measuring, etc.”)

Verb

gage (third-person singular simple present gages, present participle gaging, simple past and past participle gaged)

1. (US) Alternative spelling of gauge (“to measure”)

Usage notes

The spelling gage is encountered primarily in American English, but even there it is less common than the spelling gauge.

Translations

Etymology 3

Back-formation from greengage.

Noun

gage (plural gages)

1. A subspecies of plum, Prunus domestica subsp. italica.

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 4

Noun

gage

1. (slang, dated) Marijuana
2. (archaic, UK, slang) A pint pot. [18th–19th c.c.]
3. (archaic, UK, slang, metonymically) A drink. [from 19th c.]
4. (archaic, UK, slang) A tobacco pipe. [mid 17th–early 19th c.]
5. (archaic, UK, slang) A chamberpot. [19th c.]
6. (archaic, UK, slang) A small quantity of anything. [19th c.]
7. (obsolete, UK, thieves' cant) A quart pot. [15th–19th c.]

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French gage.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɣaː.ʒə/

• Hyphenation: ga‧ge
• Rhymes: -aːʒə

Noun

gage m (plural gages)

1. wage for work performed (in particular for a performance by performing artists)

Related terms

• engageren

Descendants

• → Malay: gaji
  • Indonesian: gaji
    • → Ledo Kaili: gaji
    • → Dutch: katje
    • → Petjo: gadji

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡaʒ/
• Rhymes: -aʒ
• Homophones: gagent, gages

Etymology 1

Inherited from Middle French gage, from Old French gage, guage, from Frankish *waddī.

Noun

gage m (plural gages)

1. pledge, guarantee
2. (law, finance) deposit, security, guaranty (guarantee that debt will be paid; property relinquished to ensure this)
3. forfeit (something deposited as part of a game)
4. proof, evidence, assurance
5. (in the plural) wages, salary

Derived terms

• prêteur sur gages
• tueur à gages

Related terms

• gager

Descendants

• → Dutch: gage
• → German: Gage (see there for further descendants)

Etymology 2

Verb

gage

1. inflection of gager:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular present imperative

Further reading

• “gage”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Middle English

Etymology 1

Noun

gage (plural gages)

1. Alternative form of cage

Etymology 2

Noun

gage

1. Alternative form of gauge

Etymology 3

From Old French gage, from Medieval Latin wadium, from Frankish *waddī. Doublet of wage and wed.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡaːdʒ(ə)/

Noun

gage

1. A security, surety, or bond.
2. A formal declaration of combat.
3. (rare) Money for the release of a hostage .

Descendants

• English: gage

References

• “gāǧe, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-22.

Old French

Alternative forms

• guage, gaige, wage

Etymology

From Frankish *waddī.

Noun

gage m (oblique plural gages, nominative singular gages, nominative plural gage)

1. wage (regular remuneration)
2. (figurative) payment

Descendants

• Middle French: gage
  • French: gage
• → Middle English: gage
  • English: gage
• ⇒ Old French: gager, gagier, guagier
  • Middle French: guagier, gager
    • French: gager
  • → Middle English: gagen
    • English: gage
  • ⇒ Old French: gageure
    • French: gageure, gageüre
• → Piedmontese: gagi