gack

== English == === Pronunciation === enPR: găk, IPA(key): /ɡæk/ Rhymes: -æk Homophone: gac === Etymology 1 === Apparently onomatopoeic and believed to have first appeared in comic strips. Compare gag (“to choke; to retch”) and hack (“to cough noisily”). The "cocaine" and "meth" senses apparently comes from the fact that snorting the drugs often activates a person's gag reflex. ==== Alternative forms ==== gak ==== Interjection ==== gack (often repeated several times) A sharp, sudden sound from someone's throat while they're coughing, vomiting, gagging, etc. An expression of disgust or disapproval. An expression of trepidation. ==== Verb ==== gack (third-person singular simple present gacks, present participle gacking, simple past and past participle gacked) (intransitive) To make a sharp, sudden sound in one's throat, such as before vomiting or while coughing, gagging, etc. To do something that causes a sharp, sudden sound in one's throat. (intransitive) To vomit, throw up. (transitive) To cough something up. (intransitive) To choke (be unable to breathe because of obstruction of the windpipe) (intransitive) To choke (experience tightness in one's throat as a result of strong emotion) ==== Noun ==== gack (uncountable) (slang) Crystal meth. (slang) Powder cocaine. ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === Apparently onomatopoeic. Compare German gack (“call of a hen”), German gackern (“(of a chicken) to loudly and repetitive cry”), and Dutch gakken (“(of a goose) to honk”). ==== Interjection ==== gack The sound of a bird's call in response to disturbance. ==== Verb ==== gack (third-person singular simple present gacks, present participle gacking, simple past and past participle gacked) (of a bird) To call in response to disturbance. === References === == Swedish == === Etymology === From Old Norse gakk, compare dialectal Norwegian Nynorsk gakk. === Verb === gack (archaic) singular imperative of gå