Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Gaffer
Gaf′fer
(găf′fẽr)
, Noun.
1.
An old fellow; an aged rustic.
Go to each
gaffer
and each goody. Fawkes.
☞ Gaffer was originally a respectful title, now degenerated into a term of familiarity or contempt when addressed to an aged man in humble life.
2.
A foreman or overseer of a gang of laborers.
[Prov. Eng.]
Webster 1828 Edition
Gaffer
GAF'FER
,Noun.
Definition 2025
Gaffer
Gaffer
See also: gaffer
German
Noun
Gaffer m (genitive Gaffers, plural Gaffer, feminine Gafferin)
- rubberneck (undesired spectator of a scene of crime or accident)
Declension
Declension of Gaffer
See also
gaffer
gaffer
See also: Gaffer
English
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /ɡæfɚ/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɡæfə/
- Rhymes: -æfə(ɹ)
Noun
gaffer (plural gaffers)
- (film) A chief lighting technician for a motion-picture or television production.
- A glassblower.
- 2003, Jennifer Bosveld, Glass Works (page 18)
- The apprentice carries a gather of glass on the blowpipe to the gaffer's bench […]
- 2003, Jennifer Bosveld, Glass Works (page 18)
Related terms
Translations
chief lighting technician
|
|
glassblower — see glassblower
Etymology 2
Likely a contraction of godfather, but with the vowels influenced by grandfather. Compare French compère, German Gevatter.
Noun
gaffer (plural gaffers)
- (colloquial) An old man.
- (Britain) A foreman.
- An "Old Gaffer" is a sailor.
- In Maritime regions "the Little Gaffer" is the baby in the house.
Synonyms
- See also Wikisaurus:old man
Related terms
Translations
old man
foreman
sailor
|
baby — see baby
References
- “gaffer”, in OED Online, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989.
French
Etymology
Verb
gaffer
- to make a gaffe; to mess up; botch up
- to gaffer tape
Conjugation
Conjugation of gaffer (see also Appendix:French verbs)
| simple | compound | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | gaffer | avoir gaffé | |||||
| gerund | en gaffant | en ayant gaffé | |||||
| present participle | gaffant /ɡa.fɑ̃/ |
||||||
| past participle | gaffé /ɡa.fe/ |
||||||
| person | singular | plural | |||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| indicative | je (j’) | tu | il | nous | vous | ils | |
| simple tenses |
present | gaffe /ɡaf/ |
gaffes /ɡaf/ |
gaffe /ɡaf/ |
gaffons /ɡa.fɔ̃/ |
gaffez /ɡa.fe/ |
gaffent /ɡaf/ |
| imperfect | gaffais /ɡa.fɛ/ |
gaffais /ɡa.fɛ/ |
gaffait /ɡa.fɛ/ |
gaffions /ɡa.fjɔ̃/ |
gaffiez /ɡa.fje/ |
gaffaient /ɡa.fɛ/ |
|
| past historic1 | gaffai /ɡa.fe/ |
gaffas /ɡa.fa/ |
gaffa /ɡa.fa/ |
gaffâmes /ɡa.fam/ |
gaffâtes /ɡa.fat/ |
gaffèrent /ɡa.fɛʁ/ |
|
| future | gafferai /ɡa.fʁe/ |
gafferas /ɡa.fʁa/ |
gaffera /ɡa.fʁa/ |
gafferons /ɡa.fʁɔ̃/ |
gafferez /ɡa.fʁe/ |
gafferont /ɡa.fʁɔ̃/ |
|
| conditional | gafferais /ɡa.fʁɛ/ |
gafferais /ɡa.fʁɛ/ |
gafferait /ɡa.fʁɛ/ |
gafferions /ɡa.fə.ʁjɔ̃/ |
gafferiez /ɡa.fə.ʁje/ |
gafferaient /ɡa.fʁɛ/ |
|
| compound tenses |
present perfect | Use the present tense of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | Use the imperfect tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| past anterior1 | Use the past historic tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| future perfect | Use the future tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| conditional perfect | Use the conditional tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| subjunctive | que je (j’) | que tu | qu’il | que nous | que vous | qu’ils | |
| simple tenses |
present | gaffe /ɡaf/ |
gaffes /ɡaf/ |
gaffe /ɡaf/ |
gaffions /ɡa.fjɔ̃/ |
gaffiez /ɡa.fje/ |
gaffent /ɡaf/ |
| imperfect1 |
gaffasse /ɡa.fas/ |
gaffasses /ɡa.fas/ |
gaffât /ɡa.fa/ |
gaffassions /ɡa.fa.sjɔ̃/ |
gaffassiez /ɡa.fa.sje/ |
gaffassent /ɡa.fas/ |
|
| compound tenses |
past | Use the present subjunctive tense of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| pluperfect1 | Use the imperfect subjunctive tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| imperative | – | tu | – | nous | vous | – | |
| — | gaffe /ɡaf/ |
— | gaffons /ɡa.fɔ̃/ |
gaffez /ɡa.fe/ |
— | ||
| 1literary tenses | |||||||