gore

1 of 4

noun (1)

1
: a small usually triangular piece of land
2
a
: a tapering or triangular piece (as of cloth in a skirt)
b
: an elastic gusset for providing a snug fit in a shoe

gore

2 of 4

verb (1)

gored; goring

transitive verb

1
: to cut into a tapering triangular form
2
: to provide with a gore

gore

3 of 4

verb (2)

gored; goring

transitive verb

: to pierce or wound with something pointed (such as a horn or knife)
gored by a bull

gore

4 of 4

noun (2)

1
: blood
especially : clotted blood
2
: gruesomeness depicted in vivid detail

Examples of gore in a Sentence

Verb (2) running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, may sound like fun, but the bulls have been known to gore runners who get too close
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The film combines slasher-style chase sequences while indulging retro monster movie extravagance and a nice smattering of visceral gore. EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024 The original Squid Game was a perfect limited series — a bite-sized frenzy of gore and class analysis that took over the world. Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
Last year, a 47-year-old woman was gored by a bison not far from where this most recent incident took place. Jordan Freiman, CBS News, 3 June 2024 Flashback: The last time Georgia played Texas, in the 2019 Sugar Bowl, Bevo appeared to try to gore Uga. Asher Price, Axios, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gore 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English gāra; akin to Old English gār spear, and perhaps to Greek chaion shepherd's staff

Verb (2)

Middle English, probably from gore spear, sword, from Old English gār spear

Noun (2)

Middle English, filth, from Old English gor

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1563, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gore was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near gore

Cite this Entry

“Gore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gore. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

gore

1 of 4 noun
ˈgō(ə)r How to pronounce gore (audio)
ˈgȯ(ə)r
: a tapering or triangular piece of cloth (as in a skirt)

gore

2 of 4 verb
gored; goring
1
: to cut into a tapering triangular form
2
: to provide with a gore

gore

3 of 4 verb
gored; goring
: to pierce or wound with something pointed (as a tusk or horn)

gore

4 of 4 noun
1
: blood entry 1 sense 1a
especially : clotted blood
2
: violent or bloody images
Etymology

Noun

Old English gāre "triangular piece of land"

Verb

Middle English goren "pierce, gore"

Noun

Old English gor "filth"

Biographical Definition

Gore

biographical name

Albert, Jr. 1948–     American politician and environmentalist; vice president of the U.S. (1993–2001)

More from Merriam-Webster on gore

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