Etymology

gar

G2A1R1

Today it means: Any of several North American fish of the family Lepisosteidae that have long, narrow jaws. Full definition →

First used 14th–19th c.Middle English gar
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gar · noun1

  1. Middle English · inherited fromgar“spear”
  2. English todaygar

Clipping of garfish, from Middle English gar (“spear”) + fish. Compare pike.

gar · verb2

  1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*garwijaną
  2. Old Norse · derived fromgera
  3. Middle English · inherited fromgarren
  4. English todaygar

From Middle English garren, gerren, from Old Norse gera, gerva (Swedish göra, Danish gøre), from Proto-Germanic *garwijaną. Compare yare; but also Old Cornish gorra (“put, place, set”).

Gar · proper noun3

  1. Tibetan · borrowed fromསྒར
  2. English todayGar

From Tibetan སྒར (sgar).

Words from the same roots

Proto-Germanic*garwijaną all →

geargarb

First known use, by meaning

  • 14th–19th c. To make, compel (someone to do something); to cause (something to be done).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.