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gaff

noun

  1. a large, strong hook on a pole, or a barbed spear, used in landing large fish
    1. a sharp metal spur fastened to the leg of a gamecock
    2. any of the steel points on a lineman's climbing iron
    1. a spar or pole extending from the after side of a mast and supporting a fore-and-aft sail
    2. U.S. Navy a similarly located spar on the mainmast, from which the ensign is flown when a ship is underway
  2. Slang any secret device for cheating
  3. Brit., Slang a cheap theater, dance hall, etc.

transitive verb

  1. to strike or land (a fish) with a gaff
  2. Chiefly Brit., Slang to cheat; hoax; trick
  3. Naut., Slang to rig with a gaff

noun

Brit., Slang foolish talk; nonsense

See gaff in American Heritage Dictionary 4

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