gaffle

Pronunciation: /ˈɡæfl̩/

The English word “gaffle” has 12 meanings listed here.

noun

A lever used to bend a crossbow.
A steel spur attached to a gamecock (sometimes used figuratively).
A portable fork of iron or wood in which the heavy musket formerly in use was rested that it might be accurately aimed and fired.
a fork in an orienteering race.

verb

To equip with a gaffle or similar weapon.
to include a gaffle in an orienteering race.
To grab or seize
To get hold of, to find.
To arrest for criminal activity.
To steal
To swindle or bully (someone)
To talk without a purpose, usually about inane or pointless topics; to babble.

Etymology

From Middle English gaffolle, a borrowing from Middle Dutch gaffel, gafel (“fork”), ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *gabulu (“fork”), related to Old English gafol, ġeafel (“fork”).

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.