gang

views updated Jun 08 2018

gang¹ / gang/ • n. 1. an organized group of criminals. ∎ a group of young people involved in petty crime or violence. ∎ inf. a group of people, esp. young people, who regularly associate together. ∎ an organized group of people doing manual work: ninety days of hard labor on the road gang.2. a set of switches, sockets, or other electrical or mechanical devices grouped together.• v. 1. [intr.] (gang together) (of a number of people) form a group or gang: the smaller supermarket chains are ganging together to beat the big boys. ∎ (gang up) (of a number of people) join together, typically in order to intimidate someone: he is being unfairly ganged up on.2. [tr.] (often be ganged) arrange (electrical devices or machines) together to work in coordination.gang² • v. [intr.] Scot. go; proceed: gang to your bed, lass.PHRASAL VERBS: gang agley (of a plan) go wrong.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

Gang

views updated May 17 2018

Gang

a full set of things; a quantity or amount carried at one time; a group of persons doing the same work; a group of people or things connected to one another. See also company, set, team.

Examples: gang of ale, 1590; of beer, 1590; of buffaloes, 1807; of captives, 1883; of cartwheels [set of four]; a chain gang; of chronographers, 1677; of clerks, 1668; of convicts; of coopers, 1863; of criminals, 1883; of dogs, 1740; of elk; of heretics, 1848; of light harrows [set], 1806; of horseshoes [set], 1590; of housebreakers, 1701; of labourers; of milk, 1827; of oars, 1726; of peat [amount brought by ponies on one trip], 1808; of ploughs, 1874; of porters, 1700; of ruffians; of saws [set], 1883; of shrouds [suit of sails], 1690; of slaves, 1790; of teeth, 1674; of thieves, 1782; of varlets, 1632; of water, 1858; of women [of silly women], 1645; of workmen.

Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms

gang

views updated May 23 2018

gang
A. †going, journey XII; (dial.) way, road XV;

B. (dial.) set of articles of one kind XIV; band of persons XVII. — ON. gangr m. and ganga fem., walking, motion, course = OE., OS., OHG. (Du., G.) gang, Goth. gaggs; Gmc. noun of action to *ʒaηʒan go (cf. GO).
Hence gangster member of a criminal gang. XIX (orig. U.S.).