fish-gaff

  • 1fish gaff — a long pole with a metal hook on the end, used to secure large fish caught on hook and line and haul them on board a vessel …

    Dictionary of ichthyology

  • 2fish-gaff — a long pole with a metal hook on the end, used to secure large fish caught on hook and line and haul them on board a vessel …

    Dictionary of ichthyology

  • 3gaff — Ⅰ. gaff [1] ► NOUN 1) a stick with a hook or barbed spear, for landing large fish. 2) Sailing a spar to which the head of a fore and aft sail is bent. ► VERB ▪ seize or impale (a fish) with a gaff. ORIGIN Provençal gaf hook ; related to GAFFE …

    English terms dictionary

  • 4gaff — gaff1 [gaf] n. [ME gaffe < OFr < OProv gaf or Sp gafa < Goth gafah, a catch < ga , intens. + fahan, to catch, akin to FANG] 1. a large, strong hook on a pole, or a barbed spear, used in landing large fish 2. a) a sharp metal spur… …

    English World dictionary

  • 5Gaff — (g[a^]f), n. [OE. gaffe, F. gaffe an iron hook with which seamen pull great fishes into their ships; cf. Ir. gaf, gafa hook; perh. akin to G. gabel fork, Skr. gabhasti. Cf. {Gaffle}, {Gable}.] 1. A barbed spear or a hook with a handle, used by… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 6gaff — [gæf] n [Date: 1300 1400; : French; Origin: gaffe, from Provençal gaf] 1.) BrE informal the place where someone lives ▪ a wretched dirty gaff 2.) a stick with a hook at the end, used to pull big fish out of the water …

    Dictionary of contemporary English

  • 7gaff — [ gæf ] noun count a pole with a hook on the end, used for pulling large fish out of water …

    Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • 8gaff — gaff1 /gaf/, n. 1. an iron hook with a handle for landing large fish. 2. the spur on a climbing iron, esp. as used by telephone linemen. 3. Naut. a spar rising aft from a mast to support the head of a quadrilateral fore and aft sail (gaff sail).… …

    Universalium

  • 9gaff — I [[t]gæf[/t]] n. 1) an iron hook with a handle for landing large fish 2) tgp the spur on a climbing iron, esp. as used by telephone linemen 3) naut. navig. a spar rising aft from a mast to support the head of a fore and aft sail 4) a metal spur… …

    From formal English to slang

  • 10gaff — I. noun Etymology: French gaffe, from Occitan gaf Date: circa 1656 1. a. a spear or spearhead for taking fish or turtles b. a handled hook for holding or lifting heavy fish c. a metal spur for a gamecock d. a butcher s hook e. a climbing iron or… …

    New Collegiate Dictionary