gaggle

noun gag·gle \ ˈga-gəl \

Definition of gaggle

1 : flock; especially : a flock of geese when not in flight — compare skein

2 : a group, aggregation, or cluster lacking organization

a gaggle of reporters and photographers

3 : an indefinite number

participated in a gaggle of petty crimes

See gaggle defined for English-language learners

See gaggle defined for kids

Examples of gaggle in a Sentence

a noisy gaggle of photographers

Recent Examples of gaggle from the Web

There's nothing better than opening your door on Halloween night to a gaggle of giggling kids in adorably scary costumes.

— leada gore, AL.com, "Halloween 2017: How old is too old to go trick-or-treating?," 31 Oct. 2017
And many homeowners are aging out of stair-climbing, or are starting to host a gaggle of grandchildren, making those steep hillside treks increasingly difficult.

— katy mclaughlin, WSJ, "Going Up? Incline Elevators Help Hillside Homeowners," 10 Aug. 2017
While many corn-maze artists used GPS to mow their designs, the Treinens keep it old school, planting the corn in a grid and using wooden stakes, a lawnmower and a gaggle of teenage helpers to create the design.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Check Out This Awesome Trilobite Corn Maze," 25 Sep. 2017
The courtroom was packed with a gaggle of clergy in support of Menendez, family members, spectators, and some top brass from the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section as Cooney gave his closing argument.

— laura jarrett, CNN, "Prosecutors in Menendez closing arguments: 'this is what bribery looks like'," 2 Nov. 2017
The Moscow City Center project, a gaggle of wildly shaped modern glass office towers resembling London's Canary Wharf, is testimony to the yet-unfulfilled Putin-era hopes of transforming Moscow into a global financial center.

— fred weir, The Christian Science Monitor, "Moscow gets a much needed facelift. But is it worth the cost?," 20 Oct. 2017
Moore was scheduled to talk with reporters in a brief gaggle following his speech, a plan that was confirmed two days ago, according to GOP officials.

— jonece starr dunigan, AL.com, "Man shot near Family Dollar in Birmingham," 13 Oct. 2017
Doting aunts passed babies from lap to lap as a gaggle of toddlers tore through the crowded living room, pausing only to swipe Syrian sweets from a coffee table.

— aryn baker / berlin, Time, "Promised Land," 28 Sep. 2017
And now, 40-odd years later, their achievements are under assault from a gaggle of lightweights and a president-elect whose only apparent political skill is the equivalent of a three-card monte game on the E train.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "What a Weekend It Was for Civil Rights," 17 Jan. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gaggle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of gaggle

derivative of gaggle "to cackle," going back to Middle English gagelyn, of imitative origin

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Animal Husbandry Terms

apiary, bantam, calico, girth, hogwash, mast, rut

GAGGLE Defined for English Language Learners

gaggle

noun

Definition of gaggle for English Language Learners

: a group of geese : a flock of geese
: a group of people

GAGGLE Defined for Kids

gaggle

noun gag·gle \ ˈga-gəl \

Definition of gaggle for Students

1 : a group of animals and especially a flock of geese

2 : a group of people

a gaggle of tourists

Learn More about gaggle

See words that rhyme with gaggle Spanish Central: Translation of gaggle Nglish: Translation of gaggle for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gaggle

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gaggle

Definition of gaggle

Examples of gaggle in a Sentence

Recent Examples of gaggle from the Web

Origin and Etymology of gaggle

Other Animal Husbandry Terms

GAGGLE Defined for English Language Learners

gaggle

Definition of gaggle for English Language Learners

GAGGLE Defined for Kids

gaggle

Definition of gaggle for Students

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gaggle

Definition of gaggle

Examples of gaggle in a Sentence

Recent Examples of gaggle from the Web

Origin and Etymology of gaggle

Other Animal Husbandry Terms

GAGGLE Defined for English Language Learners

gaggle

Definition of gaggle for English Language Learners

GAGGLE Defined for Kids

gaggle

Definition of gaggle for Students

Learn More about gaggle

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