noun

gorge

gawj

noun

A deep, narrow valley or ravine, usually with steep rocky walls and often a river running through it.

"Tourists flock to see the river cut through the gorge."

"They hiked along the rim of the gorge at sunset."

The throat or gullet.

"The thought of it made his gorge rise."

verb

To eat greedily and to excess.

"We gorged ourselves on pizza after the game."

"The bear gorged on salmon before winter."

How to Use Gorge

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither a deep rocky ravine, or the act of stuffing yourself with food, and (older, more literary) the throat itself.

Common mistake

The phrase "gorge rises" means feeling nauseated or disgusted — it uses the old "throat" sense, not the canyon one.

Common pairings

a deep gorge gorge oneself on rim of the gorge

Word Forms

more gorge comparative, gorged past tense, gorges plural, gorges plural, gorges singular, most gorge superlative

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Tourists flock to see the river cut through the _____.

Etymology

From Old French gorge, meaning "throat," ultimately from Latin gurges ("whirlpool, gulf"). The "deep ravine" sense developed later, from the image of a river squeezed through a narrow, throat-like passage.

Rhymes for gorge

Jorge forge George

See all rhymes for gorge →