gaffle

plural gaffles

1. obsoleteA lever used to bend a crossbow.
2. A steel spur attached to a gamecock (sometimes used figuratively).

   One sits with a harp at his lord's feet; another tames the wild hawk and trains him, teaches him with his little gaffles till the Welsh bird becomes docile.

   1880, Frederick Metcalfe, The Englishman and the Scandinavian, page 169

   2 more examples

   These birds, having been some time previous bereft of the weapons nature designed for their defence, are now fornished with gaffles, or artificial spurs, each of which is a polished steel blade , about three inches in length, half an inch wide at the base, curved slightly upwards, sharp at the point and on the upper edge, and firmly fastened to the leg by means of a clasp.

   1860, George Palmer Putnam, Popping the Question: And Other Tales, page 295

   Conkling and Me Too Platt, by putting the gaffles into President Garfield, ruptured the Republican party from narrative to neckband, and the Democrats won in a walk.

   1906, William Cowper Brann, Brann, the Iconoclast, page 319

3. historicalengineeringA portable fork of iron or wood in which the heavy musket formerly in use was rested that it might be accurately aimed and fired.
4. a fork in an orienteering race.

present singular third person gaffles · participle present gaffling · participle past gaffled · past gaffled

1. To equip with a gaffle or similar weapon.

   Gentlemen took great interest in the management of the cock, the skill of gaffling, the science of feeding and grooming, and the expertness in handling the fowl.

   2003, Jennie Holliman, American Sports, 1785-1835, page 126

   3 more examples

   Now, sword or dagger, human arms are but artifical claws and fangs, tied on like false spurs to the fighting cock. So, we repeat, Oberlus, czar of the isle, gaffles his four subjects; that is, with intent of glory, puts four rusty cutlasses into their hands.

   1854, Herman Melville., The Encantadas, or Enchanted Isles

   Blood doth not follow the law of the mountain stream, by getting more muddy as it descends; neither are men and women of the nature of the gaffled cocks we use to fight at the mains on the Inch of Perth, which send down their fighting propensities to the tenth gallinaccous generation.

   1889, J. M. Wilson, Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, page 39

   He earned my contempt by carrying a pistol and drawing it on Senator Benton (known to be unarmed) in the Chamber, like a gaffled fowl in a cock-pit waiting provocation.

   1891, Josiah Bushnell Grinnell, Men and Events of Forty Years, page 62

2. to include a gaffle in an orienteering race.

present singular third person gaffles · participle present gaffling · participle past gaffled · past gaffled

1. To grab or seize

   Just as he was going to throw the plug into the box, Jimmy's huge paw reached out and gaffled it.

   1951, Modern Power & Engineering - Volume 45, page 126

   2 more examples

   They would grapple till they were tired, then stop; but as soon as one would start for the bears the other would gaffle him again.

   1949, Chase Salmon Osborn, Stellanova Osborn, Northwoods Sketches, page 29

   The nurse kep cool enough, but the menfolks fretted some; and the two ole hairpins gaffled holt of one another and plumped down onto their knees, prayin' for “deliv'rance from desaster !"

   1966, Will R. Davis, Zackary Adams, Village Down East, page 79

2. To get hold of, to find.

   "I gaffled onto Kate,” Mrs. Swain said. "Oh, wonderful! How ever did you find her ?”

   1950, Detective Book Club Selections - Volume 57, page 110

   3 more examples

   Ye see, he knew there wasn't barely enough grazing for him on that oasis, and a short supply of dates for me, and he had gaffled onto that place and warn't going to let go for no black feller nor yet yeller.

   1905, Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards, The Armstrongs, page 197

   "Clever of ye," said Scattergood. "Naow, about Marjie's money. How'd ye manage to gaffle onto that?"

   1939, American Magazine - Volume 127, page 147

   Anyone who would like to share your burdens or want to know more about Christ, you are welcome to come to our Tuesday and Friday, and Sunday night bible studies or just gaffle one of the brothers on the yard.

   1974, The Hilltopper, page 191

3. To arrest for criminal activity.

   They come on down, man, gaffled me up and put the cuffs on my hands.

   1994, Eugene P. Delorme, Inez Cardozo-Freeman, Chief: The Life History of Eugene Delorme, page 83

   3 more examples

   Most forgers were “drunken checkers," men who had forged checks at taverns, although now and then someone would arrive who had hung a great deal of paper before getting gaffled.

   1953, Tom Runyon, In for Life, a Convict's Story, page 9696

   Ole Rooster, one of our best analytical minds and alleged phantom mover of The Outlaw, was gaffled up of a sudden and bussed out — not before he'd gotten his beautiful layout of info on the indeterminate sentencing law off to Cleaver's attorneys, though.

   1971, Robert J. Minton, Inside; Prison American Style, page 204

   Just as things appear to be coming together, a predawn, no-knock raid surprises you, and vile, profanity-slanging soldiers from the enemy culture invade your space, gaffle you and haul you off to a cage.

   1999, Rap Pages - Volume 8, page 48

4. To steal

   “That hooligan gaffled my wallet,” Seth told Mort, his breathing now back to near normal.

   2012, Jessica Fletcher, Donald Bain, Murder, She Wrote: Domestic Malice

   1 more example

   I presume that one of them walked out to the back end to see if any one had been trespassing, and finding my trap had gaffled it.

   1906, Hunter-trader-trapper - Volume 10, page 73

5. To swindle or bully (someone)

   Boo savored the sweetness of strength and gaffled his peers for their lunch money.

   2008, Jeffery Renard Allen, Holding Pattern: Stories, page 226

   5 more examples

   In other words , you know the trouble around here — and this is pertinent , too — that there have been too many committees in which the minority has allowed itself to be gaffled into submission and silence.

   1958, René Albert Wormser, Foundations, Their Power and Influence, page 363

   They then stole a maroon Oldsmobile Delta Eighty-Eight from a parking lot on Harvard Avenue and resumed their search for a victim to “gaffle."

   1994, North eastern reporter. second series - Volume 623, page 76

   SHEILA: I'm late — 'cause I just got gaffled G ROC (Overlapping): Got gaffled?! Whatchu mean you got gaffled?!

   2004, Harry Justin Elam, Robert Alexander, The Fire this Time: African-American Plays for the 21st Century, page 410

   I thought back to the last time I'd seen my first and only boyfriend, recalling his smile as he'd gone off to do battle for me, saving me from getting gaffled.

   2012, Kresley Cole, Poison Princess, page 149

   There really are no paying customers with any sense of good, orderly direction going to any perceivable destination with purpose, except to sponge off of others or to gaffle intending drug buyers.

   2015, Douglas Meriwether, The Dao of Doug 2: the Art of Driving a Bus, page 154

6. To talk without a purpose, usually about inane or pointless topics; to babble.

   So I commenced to yell, And old man Pease he hugged his knees and gaffled to his pail.

   1916, Holman Day, Up in Maine: Stories of Yankee Life Told in Verse, page 189

   2 more examples

   The honey birds gaffle – I'm coming to you soon, I'm coming to you as they leave , and one insect starts to call, and will call all night, with the exact monotonous cheep-cheep of young English house-sparrows in June.

   1987, Seán Virgo, Selakhi, page 157

   Leaving that to the rappers, it's their business But to be down or not to be down Is still debatable for plausible reasons For one seldom knows the directions others are traveling in Or if one-time wants to do some gaffling

   2011, Hakim Askia, Compelling Thoughts, page 125