gang

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

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: găng, IPA^(key): /ɡæŋ/
• Rhymes: -æŋ

Etymology 1

From Middle English gangen, from Old English gangan (“to go, walk, turn out”), from Proto-Germanic *ganganą (“to go, walk”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰengʰ- (“to step, walk”).

Cognate with Scots gang (“to go on foot, walk”), Swedish gånga (“to walk, go”), Faroese ganga (“to walk”), Icelandic ganga (“to walk, go”), Vedic Sanskrit जंहस् (jáṃhas). Ultimately: related to etym. 2, see below.

Alternative forms

• gan

Verb

gang (third-person singular simple present gangs, present participle ganging, simple past and past participle ganged)

1. (intransitive, Northern England, Scotland) To go; walk; proceed.

Derived terms

Etymology 2

From Middle English gang, from Old English gang (“a journey; way; passage”), from Proto-West Germanic *gang, from Proto-Germanic *gangaz, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰongʰ-o-s, from *ǵʰengʰ- (“to step; stride”).

Cognate with Saterland Frisian Gong, Dutch gang, German Gang, Norwegian gang, Swedish gång, Icelandic gangur, Vedic Sanskrit जंहस् (jáṃhas).

Noun

gang (plural gangs)

2. A number going in company; a number of friends or persons associated for a particular purpose.

   the Gashouse Gang

   The gang from our office is going out for drinks Friday night.

3. A group of laborers under one foreman; a squad or workgang.

   a gang of sailors; a railroad gang; a labor gang or pool.

4. A criminal group with a common cultural background and identifying features, often associated with a particular section of a city.

   a youth gang; a neighborhood gang; motorcycle gang.

6. A group of criminals or alleged criminals who band together for mutual protection and profit.

   The Winter Hill Gang was quite proficient at murdering rival mobsters in order to take over their rackets.

7. A group of politicians united in furtherance of a political goal.

   The Gang of Four was led by Jiang Qing, the fourth wife of Mao Zedong.

   Not all members of the Gang of Six are consistent in their opposition to filibuster.

8. (US) A chain gang.
9. A combination of similar tools or implements arranged so as, by acting together, to save time or labor; a set.

   a gang of saws; a gang of plows; a gang drill; gang milling.

10. A set; all required for an outfit.

    a new gang of stays.

11. (electrics) A number of switches or other electrical devices wired into one unit and covered by one faceplate.

    an outlet gang box; a double gang switch.

12. (electrics) A group of wires attached as a bundle.

    a gang of wires

    Do a drop for the telephone gang, then another drop for the Internet gang, both through the ceiling of the wiring closet.

13. (now chiefly dialectal) A going, journey; a course, path, track.
14. (obsolete) An outhouse: an outbuilding used as a lavatory.
    • c. 1000, Aelfric, Homilies, Vol. I, page 290:

      Þaða he to gange com.

15. (African-American Vernacular, used in the vocative) A term of address for someone, particularly when cautioning them or offering advice.

Synonyms

• (outhouse): See Thesaurus:bathroom

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Cebuano: gang
• → Dutch: gang
• → Japanese: ギャング (gyangu)
• → Malay: geng
• → Norman: dgaîngue
• → Portuguese: gangue
• → Spanish: gang
• → Tagalog: gang
• → Thai: แก๊ง (gɛ́ng)

Translations

Verb

gang (third-person singular simple present gangs, present participle ganging, simple past and past participle ganged)

1. (transitive) To attach similar items together to form a larger unit.

Derived terms

• gang up
• gang up on

See also

• Appendix:English collective nouns

Etymology 3

See gan.

Verb

gang

1. Pronunciation spelling of gan.

Etymology 4

Shortening of gangbang.

Verb

gang (third-person singular simple present gangs, present participle ganging, simple past and past participle ganged)

1. Synonym of gangbang: to have sex with a single partner as a gang.

References

• The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English.

Etymology 5

Noun

gang (countable and uncountable, plural gangs)

1. (mining) Alternative form of gangue

Anagrams

• gnag

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch gang, from Middle Dutch ganc, from Old Dutch gank, gang, from Proto-Germanic *gangaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /χaŋ/

Noun

gang (plural gange)

1. a passageway, alley

Alemannic German

Verb

gang

1. second-person imperative singular of gaa

Balinese

Romanization

gang

1. Romanization of ᬕᬂ

Cebuano

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡaŋ/, [ˈɡaŋ]

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English gang, from Middle English gang, from Old English gang (“a journey; way; passage”), from Proto-Germanic *gangaz, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰongʰ-o-s, from *ǵʰengʰ- (“to step; stride”).

Noun

gang

1. gang (company of persons)

   Synonym: barkada

2. criminal gang

Derived terms

• ganggang

Etymology 2

From langga, pangga. Compare lang.

Noun

gang

1. Term of address: dear; sweetie

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:gang.

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡ̊anɡ̊/, [ɡ̊ɑŋˀ]
• Rhymes: -ɑŋˀ

Etymology 1

From Old Danish gang, from Old Norse gangr, from Proto-Germanic *gangaz, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰengʰ- (“stride, step”).

Noun

gang c (singular definite gangen, plural indefinite gange)

1. the act of walking, a walk
2. a time (an occurrence, an incidence)

   Hvor mange gange slog klokken?

   How many times did the bell toll?

3. a way or path to walk on, either outdoors or indoors (a corridor)

Inflection

Derived terms

Etymology 2

See gange.

Verb

gang

1. imperative of gange

References

• “gang” in Den Danske Ordbog
• “gang” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch ganc, from Old Dutch gank, gang, from Proto-West Germanic *gang, from Proto-Germanic *gangaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɣɑŋ/
• Hyphenation: gang
• Rhymes: -ɑŋ

Noun

gang m (plural gangen, diminutive gangetje n)

1. passageway, alley

   De oude stad heeft vele smalle gangen die toeristen aantrekken. ― The old city has many narrow alleys that attract tourists.

   Achter het huis is een smalle gang die naar de tuin leidt. ― Behind the house is a narrow passageway leading to the garden.

   Het gangetje tussen de gebouwen is moeilijk te vinden. ― The small alley between the buildings is hard to find.

2. gait, walk (person's manner of walking or stepping)

   Zijn trotse gang maakte indruk op iedereen. ― His proud gait impressed everyone.

   Ze heeft een elegante gang die opvalt. ― She has an elegant walk that stands out.

   De dokter beoordeelde zijn gang tijdens de fysieke beoordeling. ― The doctor assessed his gait during the physical evaluation.

3. journey

   De gang naar het zuiden was lang en vermoeiend. ― The journey to the south was long and tiring.

   Deze gang zal ons naar onbekende gebieden leiden. ― This journey will lead us to unknown territories.

   Elke gang brengt nieuwe avonturen en uitdagingen met zich mee. ― Every journey brings new adventures and challenges.

4. hallway, corridor

   De gang was verlicht met oude lantaarns. ― The hallway was lit with old lanterns.

   Aan het einde van de gang is een deur naar de tuin. ― At the end of the corridor is a door to the garden.

   Het gangetje leidt naar de slaapkamers. ― The small hallway leads to the bedrooms.

5. course

   Het voorgerecht is de eerste gang van het diner. ― The appetizer is the first course of the dinner.

   Hoeveel gangen heeft dit feestelijke diner? ― How many courses does this festive dinner have?

   De chefkok bereidde een vijfgangenmaaltijd voor. ― The chef prepared a five-course meal.

Derived terms

Descendants

• Afrikaans: gang
• Petjo: gang
• → Balinese: ᬕᬂ (gang)
• → Caribbean Javanese: gang
• → Indonesian: gang
• → Min Nan: 澗／涧 (kàn, “narrow street”)
• → Papiamentu: gang, han, hangetsji, hangetsje

References

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English gang.

Pronunciation

• (France) IPA^(key): /ɡɑ̃ɡ/
• (Canadian French) IPA^(key): /ɡaŋ/

Noun

gang m (plural gangs)

1. gang, group of ill-doers

Derived terms

• en gang

Further reading

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

Garo

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

gang

1. river

References

• Burling, R. (2003) The Language of the Modhupur Mandi (Garo) Vol. II: The Lexicon‎^[1], Bangladesh: University of Michigan, page 114

German

Verb

gang

1. obsolete form of geh, singular imperative of gehen

Hungarian

Etymology

From German Gang.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɡɒŋɡ]
• Rhymes: -ɒŋɡ

Noun

gang (plural gangok)

1. (informal) outside walkway, hanging corridor (along the main walls of the courtyard of a tenement building, a major venue of socializing with neighbours)

   Synonym: (mainly as an architectural term) függőfolyosó

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

• gang in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (‘The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN

Indonesian

Etymology 1

From Dutch gang (“passageway, alley”), from Middle Dutch ganc, from Old Dutch gank, gang, from Proto-Germanic *gangaz, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰongʰ-o-s, from *ǵʰengʰ- (“to step; stride”). Doublet of geng.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡaŋ/
• Hyphenation: gang

Noun

gang (first-person possessive gangku, second-person possessive gangmu, third-person possessive gangnya)

1. alleyway, alley, narrow street. A narrow pathway bound by walls on both sides

   Synonym: lorong

   gang buntu ― dead-end alley

Descendants

• → Min Nan: 澗／涧 (kàn, “narrow street”)

Etymology 2

Noun

gang (first-person possessive gangku, second-person possessive gangmu, third-person possessive gangnya)

1. Alternative spelling of geng (“gang”)

Verb

gang

1. Alternative spelling of geng

References

Further reading

• “gang” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Language Development and Fostering Agency — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.

Italian

Alternative forms

• ganga, ghenga, ghega (dated)

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English gang.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɛnɡ/
• Rhymes: -ɛnɡ

Noun

gang f (usually invariable, plural (dated) gangs)

1. gang, specifically:
2. (dated) a group of people
3. (dated) a group of laborers under one foreman
4. a criminal group

Related terms

• gangster

References

Further reading

• gang in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Maltese

Etymology

Borrowed from English gang.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡanɡ/

Noun

gang m (plural gangijiet)

1. gang (a company of persons)

Derived terms

Mandarin

Romanization

gang

1. Nonstandard spelling of gāng.
2. Nonstandard spelling of gǎng.
3. Nonstandard spelling of gàng.

Usage notes

• Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Middle English

Noun

gang

1. Alternative form of gong

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse gangr, also related to gå.

Noun

gang m (definite singular gangen, indefinite plural ganger, definite plural gangene)

1. hall, hallway

2. passage, corridor

3. aisle
4. walk, path
5. walk, walking, going
6. walk, gait

   Gangen hans er litt merkelig.

   His gait is a bit weird

7. working, running, action, movement, motion, operation
8. course; passage
9. course; march
10. time

11. plot, action

12. (mining) dike, lode
13. vein
14. (anatomy) duct

Derived terms

References

• “gang” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse gangr, also related to gå.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡɑŋː/

Noun

gang m (definite singular gangen, indefinite plural gangar, definite plural gangane)

1. hall, hallway

2. passage, corridor

3. aisle
4. walk, path
5. walk, walking, going
6. walk, gait

   Gangen hans er litt merkeleg.

   His gait is a bit weird

7. working, running, action, movement, motion, operation
8. course; passage
9. course; march
10. plot, action

11. (mining) dike, lode
12. vein
13. (anatomy) duct

Derived terms

See also

• gong

References

• “gang” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old English

Alternative forms

• gancg, gong
• ġeong, ġiong — with initial /j/ after palatalised past forms of gangan

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *gang, from Proto-Germanic *gangaz, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰengʰ- (“to step; stride”). Related to Old English gangan (“to go, walk”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡɑnɡ/, [ɡɑŋɡ]

Noun

gang m

1. going, walking
2. path
3. walk, gait
4. toilet

Declension

Derived terms

• gangsetl
• gangstōl
• ingang
• niþergang
• upgang
• ūtgang
• ymbgang

Derived terms

Descendants

• Middle English: gong, gang, gonge, goonge
  • English: gang (see there for further descendants); gong, goung (obsolete)
  • Scots: gang, gaung, ging

    Northeastern: dyang, gyang

Old High German

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *gang.

Noun

gang m (plural ganga)

1. A path, course, way, journey; a going

Declension

Derived terms

• ubargang
• Wolfgang

Descendants

• Middle High German: ganc
  • German: Gang

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from English gang, from Middle English gang, from Old English gang, from Proto-West Germanic *gang, from Proto-Germanic *gangaz, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰongʰ-o-s, from *ǵʰengʰ-. Doublet of ganek.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡaŋk/
• Rhymes: -aŋk
• Syllabification: gang

Noun

gang m inan

1. gang (criminal group with a common background)

   Synonyms: banda, szajka

Declension

Related terms

Further reading

• gang in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• gang in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Noun

gang (Portugal) m or (Brazil) f (plural gangs)

1. Dated spelling of gangue.

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from German Gang.

Noun

gang n (plural ganguri)

1. passageway

Declension

Scots

Alternative forms

• gae
• gan
• gyang
• ging

Etymology

From Middle English gangen, from Old English gangan, Old Norse ganga, with inflected forms from Old English gān (like English go).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡɑŋ/

Verb

gang (third-person singular simple present gangs, present participle gaun, simple past gaed, past participle gaen)

1. To go.

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from English gang.

Noun

gang m (plural gangs)

1. gang

   Synonyms: (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico) mara, pandilla

Related terms

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from English gang, from Middle English gang, from Old English gang (“a journey; way; passage”), from Proto-Germanic *gangaz, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰongʰ-o-s, from *ǵʰengʰ- (“to step; stride”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡaŋ/, [ˈɡaŋ]

Noun

gang

1. gang (company of persons)

   Synonyms: barkada, barkadahan

2. criminal gang

Related terms

• gangster
• gangsterismo

Further reading

• “gang”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila: Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, 2018
• “gang”, in Pinoy Dictionary, 2010–2023

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ɣaːŋ˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ɣaːŋ˧˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ɣaːŋ˧˧]

Etymology 1

From Proto-Vietic *c-kaːŋ (“handspan”).

Noun

gang • (𡬼, 𪮚)

1. a handspan

See also

Etymology 2

From Proto-Vietic *t-kaːŋ, from Old Chinese 鋼 (OC *C.kˤaŋ) (B-S) (SV: cương).

Noun

gang • (𨧠, 𮢪)

1. cast iron