English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com
noun

gar

gah

Gar (noun) means a long, slender freshwater fish with narrow, tooth-filled jaws, found mainly in North America. Example: “The kids caught a small gar while fishing off the dock.”

noun
1
A long, slender freshwater fish with narrow, tooth-filled jaws, found mainly in North America.
"The kids caught a small gar while fishing off the dock."
"Gar have hard, armor-like scales that make them tricky to fillet."

How to use gar

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA primitive-looking, long-jawed fish, not usually eaten as a table fish in most of the US.

Common pairings
a gar's snout catch a gar longnose gar

Word forms

gart past tense, gars plural, gars singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “gar” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The kids caught a small _____ while fishing off the dock.

Etymology

Shortened from "garfish", itself from Middle English gare (a spear, referring to the fish's pointed snout) plus "fish".

Origin: Middle English

Related words

Frequently asked questions

What does “gar” mean?

The word “gar” means a long, slender freshwater fish with narrow, tooth-filled jaws, found mainly in North America. In plain terms, a primitive-looking, long-jawed fish, not usually eaten as a table fish in most of the US.

How do you pronounce “gar”?

“Gar” is pronounced gah (/ɡɑɹ/ in IPA).

How do you use “gar” in a sentence?

Here is “gar” used in a sentence: “The kids caught a small gar while fishing off the dock.”

What part of speech is “gar”?

“Gar” is a noun.

Where does the word “gar” come from?

The word “gar” comes from Middle English. Shortened from "garfish", itself from Middle English gare (a spear, referring to the fish's pointed snout) plus "fish".

People also searched

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial