Word: gouge Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle English gouge (“chisel with concave blade; gouge”), from Old French gouge, goi (“gouge”), from Late Latin goia, gubia, gulbia (“chisel; piercer”), borrowed from Gaulish *gulbiā, from Proto-Celtic *gulbā, *gulbi, *gulbīnos (“beak, bill”). The English word is cognate with Italian gorbia, gubbia (“ferrule”), Old Breton golb, Old Irish gulba (“beak”), Portuguese goiva, Scottish Gaelic gilb (“chisel”), Spanish gubia (“chisel, gouge”), Welsh gylf (“beak; pointed instrument”), gylyf (“sickle”). The verb is derived from the noun. Pronunciation: /ˈɡaʊ̯d͡ʒ/, [ˈɡaʊ̯d͡ʒ], /ˈɡæʊ̯d͡ʒ/, [ˈɡæʊ̯d͡ʒ], /ˈɡaːd͡ʒ/ 1. Senses relating to cutting tools. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: The "steeple" was a little cupola, reared on the very centre of the roof, on four tall pillars of pine, that were fluted with a gouge, and loaded with mouldings. Example: The cutting [of letter blocks] is effected by chisels and gouges of the usual kinds, and is the work of a class of artizans called 'Wood letter Cutters,' or 'Wood-type Cutters.' 2. Senses relating to cutting tools. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: In plate II. are design for two backs of books. The first figure, which presents an appearance of exceeding richness, is executed with one sole tool, viz. No. 10, and a small gouge for the sides of the lettering-piece. 3. Senses relating to cutting tools. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Gouge. […] A shaped incising-tool used for cutting out forms or blanks for gloves, envelopes, or other objects cut to a shape from fabric, leather, or paper. 4. A cut or groove, as left by a gouge or something sharp. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: The nail left a deep gouge in the tire. Example: The planing-machine, on the contrary, uses revolving knives, which make a succession of little gouges in the wood; these gouges, which would otherwise leave the surface very irregular, are made to leave it tolerably smooth by following one another so closely that the gouges become one long gouge or cut; [...] 5. An act of gouging. Labels: colloquial, countable, uncountable 6. A cheat, a fraud; an imposition. Labels: countable, slang, uncountable 7. An impostor. Labels: countable, slang, uncountable 8. Soft material lying between the wall of a vein and the solid vein of ore. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: At some of the mines on the great Mother Lode, where hundreds of tons are not unfrequently thrown down at a blast, and where a wide, soft "gouge" along one wall enables the minder to keep two or three sides of the rock free, and give the powder the greatest opportunity to "lift" without waste of power, the cost of drilling and blasting per ton is so low that a reduction of one-third, even if it could be made, would not greatly affect the general count; […] Example: The geologic relations seen at the surface continue underground, but in addition 5 to 10 feet of gouge, dipping 68°E, is found to separate the serpentine from the ore zone. The gouge is not sufficiently resistant to erosion to crop out. […] A "bull" quartz vein occurs in places along the contact of the gouge and the ore zone. It does not constitute ore. 9. Information. Labels: US, slang, uncountable Example: As all naval aviators have learned at one time or another in their careers, “There's plenty of bad gouge out there," and it has, does, and will get the unwary fliers in trouble. Example: The Marines and “Coasties” (the nickname for Coast Guard students) were reputed to have good gouge on each class's test. Rumor had it that the Marines had inside information on the questions for the next day's FRR test, […]