Gab"bler (?), n. One who gabbles; a prater.
Gab"bro (?), n. [It.] (Geol.) A name originally given by the Italians
to a kind of serpentine, later to the rock called euphotide, and now
generally used for a coarsely crystalline, igneous rock consisting of
lamellar pyroxene (diallage) and labradorite, with sometimes chrysolite
(olivine gabbro).
Ga"bel (?), n. [F. gabelle, LL. gabella, gabulum, gablum; of uncertain
origin. Cf.Gavel tribute.] (O. Eng. Law) A rent, service, tribute,
custom, tax, impost, or duty; an excise. Burrill.
He enables St. Peter to pay his gabel by the ministry of a fish.
Jer. Taylor.
Ga"bel*er (?), n. (O. Eng. Law) A collector of gabels or taxes.
||Ga`belle" (?), n. [F. See Gabel.] A tax, especially on salt. [France]
||Brande & C.
Ga*belle"man (?), n. A gabeler. Carlyle.
Gab`er*dine" (?), n. See Gabardine.
Gab"er-lun`zie (?), n. [Gael. gabair talker + lunndair idler.] A beggar
with a wallet; a licensed beggar. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott.
Gab"ert (?), n. [Cf.F. gabare, Arm. kobar, gobar.] A lighter, or vessel
for inland navigation. [Scot.] Jamieson.
Ga"bi*on (?), n.[F., from It. gabbione a large cage, gabion, from
gabbia cage, L. cavea. See Cage.] 1. (Fort.) A hollow cylinder of
wickerwork, like a basket without a bottom. Gabions are made of various
sizes, and filled with earth in building fieldworks to shelter men from
an enemy's fire.
2. (Hydraul. Engin.) An openwork frame, as of poles, filled with stones
and sunk, to assist in forming a bar dyke, etc., as in harbor
improvement.
Ga`bi*on*ade" (?), n. [F. gabionnade.] 1. (Fort.) A traverse made with
gabions between guns or on their flanks, protecting them from
enfilading fire.
2. A structure of gabions sunk in lines, as a core for a sand bar in
harbor improvements.
Ga"bi*on*age (?), n. [F. gabionnage.] (Mil.) The part of a
fortification built of gabions.
Ga"bi*oned (?), p. a. Furnished with gabions.
||Ga`bion`nade" (?), n. See Gabionade.
Ga"ble (?), n. A cable. [Archaic] Chapman.
Ga"ble, n. [OE. gable, gabil, F. gable, fr. LL. gabalum front of a
building, prob. of German or Scand. origin; cf. OHG. gibil, G. giebel
gable, Icel. gafl, Goth. gibla pinnacle; perh. akin to Gr. &?; head,
and E. cephalic, or to G. gabel fork, AS. geafl, E. gaffle, L. gabalus
a kind of gallows.] (Arch.) (a) The vertical triangular portion of the
end of a building, from the level of the cornice or eaves to the ridge
of the roof. Also, a similar end when not triangular in shape, as of a
gambrel roof and the like. Hence: (b) The end wall of a building, as
distinguished from the front or rear side. (c) A decorative member
having the shape of a triangular gable, such as that above a Gothic
arch in a doorway.
Bell gable. See under Bell. -- Gable roof, a double sloping roof which
forms a gable at each end. -- Gable wall. Same as Gable (b). -- Gable
window, a window in a gable.
Ga"blet (?), n. (Arch.) A small gable, or gable-shaped canopy, formed
over a tabernacle, niche, etc.
Gab"lock (?), n. [See Gavelock.] A false spur or gaff, fitted on the
heel of a gamecock. Wright.
Ga"by (?), n. [Icel. gapi a rash, reckless man. Cf. Gafe.] A simpleton;
a dunce; a lout. [Colloq.]
Gad (?), n. [OE. gad, Icel. gaddr goad, sting; akin to Sw. gadd sting,
Goth. gazds, G. gerte switch. See Yard a measure.] 1. The point of a
spear, or an arrowhead.
2. A pointed or wedge-shaped instrument of metal, as a steel wedge used
in mining, etc.
I will go get a leaf of brass, And with a gad of steel will write
these words.
Shak.