- a stiff pole with a stout prong or hook attached for landing large fish
- a boom hoisted aft of a mast to support a gaffsail
- a metal spur fixed to the leg of a gamecock
- to hook or land (a fish) with a gaff
- slang to cheat; hoax
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
gaff1 /gæf/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
v. [~ + object]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- an iron hook with a handle for pulling in or moving large fish.
v. [~ + object]
- to catch or hook (a fish) with a gaff.
gaff1
(gaf ),USA pronunciation n.
v.t.
gaff2 (gaf ),USA pronunciation n.
gaff3 (gaf ),USA pronunciation v.t.
v.i.
- an iron hook with a handle for landing large fish.
- Telecommunicationsthe spur on a climbing iron, esp. as used by telephone linemen.
- Nautical, Naval Termsa spar rising aft from a mast to support the head of a quadrilateral fore-and-aft sail (gaff sail).
- a metal spur for a gamecock.
v.t.
- to hook or land (a fish) with a gaff.
- Gmc (Visigothic) *gaff-, perh. derivative from base of Gothic giban give
- Provencal gaf hook, gaff, noun, nominal derivative of gafar to seize (compare Medieval Latin gaffare), probably
- Middle French gaffe, gaff
- Middle English 1275–1325
gaff2 (gaf ),USA pronunciation n.
- harsh treatment or criticism:All the gaff he took never made him bitter.
- Idioms stand or take the gaff, [Slang.]to weather hardship or strain;
endure patiently.
- 1895–1900, American; compare earlier British use: nonsense, humbug, Scots dialect, dialectal: loud laugh, guffaw; of uncertain origin, originally; compare guff
gaff3 (gaf ),USA pronunciation v.t.
- [Slang.]to cheat;
fleece.
v.i.
- British Termsto gamble, esp. to indulge in petty gambling, as to toss coins.
- origin, originally uncertain 1745–55
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
gaff /ɡæf/ n
gaff /ɡæf/ n
- slang foolish talk; nonsense
- blow the gaff ⇒ Brit slang to divulge a secret
- stand the gaff ⇒ slang chiefly US Canadian to endure ridicule, difficulties, etc
'gaff' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
catboat
- peak
- spar
- cat rig
- club
- donkey topsail
- earing
- fore-and-aft sail
- fore-and-aft topsail
- gaffe
- gaffle
- gaff-rigged
- gaff sail
- gaff topsail
- gaff-topsail catfish
- gasket
- hank
- Isle of Shoals boat
- jackass bark
- jackstay
- jackyard
- jaw
- jawrope
- jewel block
- light
- lug foresail
- parrel
- ringtail
- roband
- running
- running gaff
- vang
- schooner-rigged
- shallop
- sloop
- sloop rig
- spencer
- spur