Gag v. t. [imp. & p. p. Gagged p. pr. & vb. n. Gagging ]
1. To stop the mouth of, by thrusting sometimes in, so as to hinder speaking; hence, to silence by authority or by violence; not to allow freedom of speech to.
The time was not yet come when eloquence was to be gagged, and reason to be hood winked. --Maccaulay.
2. To pry or hold open by means of a gag.
Mouths gagged to such a wideness. --Fortescue (Transl.).
3. To cause to heave with nausea.
gag
n 1: a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter;
"he told a very funny joke"; "he knows a million gags";
"thanks for the laugh"; "he laughed unpleasantly at
hisown jest"; "even a schoolboy's jape is supposed to
have some ascertainable point" [syn: joke, laugh, jest,
jape]
2: restraint put into a person's mouth to prevent speaking or
shouting [syn: muzzle]
v 1: prevent from speaking out; "The press was gagged" [syn: muzzle]
2: be too tight; rub or press; "This neckband is choking the
cat" [syn: choke, fret]
3: tie a gag around someone's mouth in order to silence them;
"The burglars gagged the home owner and tied him to a
chair" [syn: muzzle]
4: make jokes or quips; "The students were gagging during
dinner" [syn: quip]
5: struggle for breath; have insufficient oxygen intake; "he
swallowed a fishbone and gagged" [syn: choke, strangle,
suffocate]
6: cause to retch or choke [syn: choke]
7: make an unsuccessful effort to vomit; strain to vomit [syn:
heave, retch]
[also: gagging, gagged]