Meaning & use
gaggle
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Meanings
nouncountable
A group of geese, especially when they are on land or water and not flying.
Grammar: Followed by of: a gaggle of geese; the verb is usually singular, as in a gaggle was crossing the road.
Patterns
- a gaggle of geese
A gaggle of geese waddled across the road, and the traffic had to stop.
The farmer kept a gaggle of geese near the pond.
We watched a noisy gaggle of geese settle on the lawn.
nouncountableinformalhumorous
A loud, untidy group of people, often young ones, who are talking or moving together.
Grammar: Used with of and a plural noun: a gaggle of tourists.
Patterns
- a gaggle of something
A gaggle of schoolchildren giggled at the back of the bus.
A gaggle of reporters waited outside the courthouse.
She was surrounded by a gaggle of excited fans.
Word forms
| plural | gaggles |
|---|
Common combinations
- a gaggle of geese
- A gaggle of geese blocked the footpath.
- a gaggle of children
- A gaggle of children ran after the ice cream van.
- a gaggle of reporters
- A gaggle of reporters shouted questions at the mayor.
- a noisy gaggle
- A noisy gaggle of teenagers took over the cafe.
- a gaggle of tourists
- A gaggle of tourists stopped to photograph the fountain.
Synonyms and how they differ
- flock
- This is the general word for a group of birds or sheep, while gaggle is specific to geese and suggests noise.
- skein
- This names geese in flight, whereas gaggle names them on the ground.
- bunch
- This is a plain word for any group, while gaggle suggests a noisy, disorganized one.
- horde
- This implies a large, overwhelming crowd, whereas gaggle is smaller and more amusing.
Word family
- gaggle verb
- to make the loud cackling sound geese make
Commonly confused: gaggle or gargle? gaggle or skein?
gaggle vs gargle
Gargle means to wash your throat with liquid without swallowing it, and has no connection to a group.
gaggle vs skein
A skein is a group of geese flying, or a loose coil of yarn, so it cannot be used for geese on the ground.
Practice
The picnic was interrupted when a ____ of geese marched up and demanded the sandwiches.
Choose one answer.
Gaggle is the word for geese on the ground. A skein would be geese in the air, and herd and pack are used for other animals.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gaggle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.