From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishgaggag1 /ɡæɡ/ verb (gagged, gagging) 1 [intransitive]SICK/VOMIT to be unable to swallow and feel as if you are about to bring up food from your stomach The foul smell made her gag.gag on He almost gagged on his first mouthful of food.2 [transitive]SCPREVENT to put a piece of cloth over someone’s mouth to stop them making a noise Thugs gagged her and tied her to a chair. He left his victim bound and gagged (=tied up and with something over their mouth that stops them speaking).3 [transitive]SCPREVENT to stop people saying what they want to say and expressing their opinions an attempt to gag political activists → gag order, gag rule4 → be gagging to do something/be gagging for something5 → be gagging for it→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
gag• I could hardly eat the fish without gagging.• He tried to swallow but gagged.• The price of these tickets is enough to make anyone gag.• He half expected to see some naked tourist in the corner, bound and gagged.• Time allowed 00:16 Read in studio Masked raiders have bound and gagged a shop manager before escaping with two thousand pounds cash.• I heard him gagging and coughing.• He wailed and gagged as people walked by.• The forest opened into a large clearing and she gagged as she saw the slaughter within.• Janir took a sip of the medicine and gagged at the vile taste.• They shouldered their paddles and again laughed, though this time the laughter was muted, gagged by the just-offshore wind.• The prime minister has been accused of attempting to gag members of his government who do not agree with his policies.• Joe gagged on his first cigarette, red-faced and choking.• Talk about gagging on your Goobers.• Of course there are laws and restrictions to gag over, but the record holds no particular shame.• The mayor was accused of trying to gag the media.• The government has once again used concerns about "National Security' as an excuse to gag the press.gag on• A customer gagged on a piece of meat.bound and gagged• He half expected to see some naked tourist in the corner, bound and gagged.• Time allowed 00:16 Read in studio Masked raiders have bound and gagged a shop manager before escaping with two thousand pounds cash.• Their bodies were weighted, bound and gagged, and dumped overboard.• He bound and gagged me, held my arm, and we walked round the garden.• They bound and gagged two children and then forced one of them to take them to the money.• They were bound and gagged with masking tape.• Judge frees intruder who bound and gagged woman A KNIFE-wielding intruder who bound and gagged a woman walked free from court yesterday.gaggag2 noun [countable] 1 informalJOKE a joke or funny story He told a few gags. It was a bit of a running gag (=a joke which is repeated) in the show.2 SCPREVENTa piece of cloth put over someone’s mouth to stop them making a noiseExamples from the Corpus
gag• In the midst of them, a gag tied tightly about her mouth, was a woman.• Cattelan's work is a see-once-then-forget-it gag.• He started the show with a few old gags about mothers-in-law.• Some first-time eaters may become alarmed as this happens, thinking they have somehow become the victim of a time-lapse photography gag.• Even Fergie got a mention in a spurious gag about how he and the Royal got together.• The playwright pounces upon the gags like a poodle going after the petits fours.• His first job was writing gags for a famous comedian.• He wrote gags for the Jack Benny show.running gag• And let's face it, as a running gag, it really wasn't up to much.• Endless suffering and the variety of torments have become a running gag.• I remember good learning and running gags and reasonable ambition.• Just like comedians, politicians need running gags, like designer tent encampments for the homeless in the parks.• She didn't mind the running gag but argued that a programme director should remain anonymous.Origin gag1 (1400-1500) Probably from the sound of someone being prevented from breathing 