noun
gaff
gaf
noun
1
A pole with a large hook on the end, used to pull large fish out of the water.
"The angler used a gaff to land the tuna."
2
A minor social mistake; a blunder (a variant spelling of "gaffe").
"He made a gaff by using her ex's name at dinner."
3
British slang: a person's home.
"Come round to my gaff after the game."
verb
1
To hook and pull in a fish using a gaff.
"He gaffed the salmon as it neared the boat."
How to Use Gaff
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost often a fishing hook-on-a-pole, though in British slang it also means someone's house.
Common mistake
"Gaffe" (a social blunder) is the more standard spelling for that meaning; "gaff" is a variant.
UK vs US
"Gaff" meaning "home" is British slang and rarely used in American English.
Easily confused with
gaffe
Word Forms
gaffed past tense, gaffs plural, gaffs plural, Gaffs plural, gaffs singular
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The angler used a _____ to land the tuna.
Etymology
From Old French gaffe, from Old Occitan gaf ("hook").