gang
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gang¹
- /ˈɡæŋ/
- [ˈɡæŋ]
- /ˈɡeɪ̯ŋ/ Canada, US
- [ˈɡeɪ̯ŋ] Canada, US
- /ˈɡɛ̃ŋ/ Canada, US
- [ˈɡɛ̃ŋ] Canada, US
Sounds like geng (pre-ng tensing) · Rhymes with -æŋ
Where it comes from
From Middle English gangen, from Old English gangan (“to go, walk, turn out”), from Proto-West Germanic *gangan, from Proto-Germanic *ganganą (“to go, walk”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰengʰ- (“to step, walk”).
Cognate with Scots gang (“to go on foot, walk”), Swedish gånga (“to walk, go”), Faroese ganga (“to walk”), Icelandic ganga (“to walk, go”), Norwegian Nynorsk ganga (“to walk, go”), Vedic Sanskrit जंहस् (jáṃhas). Ultimately related to etymology 2, which see below.
verb gangs · ganging · ganged · gan
- To go; walk; proceed. (Colin alone) Ah, Colin, thou’rt a prodigal; a thriftless loon thou’st been, that cou’d na’ keep a little pelf to thysall when thou had’st got it; now thou may’st gang in this poor geer to thy live's end, and worse too for aught I can tell; ’faith, mon, ’twas a smeart little bysack of money thou had
gang²
- /ˈɡæŋ/
- [ˈɡæŋ]
- /ˈɡeɪ̯ŋ/ Canada, US
- [ˈɡeɪ̯ŋ] Canada, US
- /ˈɡɛ̃ŋ/ Canada, US
- [ˈɡɛ̃ŋ] Canada, US
Sounds like geng (pre-ng tensing) · Rhymes with -æŋ
Where it comes from
From Middle English gang, from Old English gang (“a journey; way; passage”), from Proto-West Germanic *gang, from Proto-Germanic *gangaz, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰongʰ-o-s, from *ǵʰengʰ- (“to step; stride”).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian Gong, Dutch gang, German Gang, Norwegian gang, Swedish gång, Icelandic gangur, Vedic Sanskrit जंहस् (jáṃhas).
noun gangs
- A number going in company; a number of friends or persons associated for a particular purpose. the Gashouse Gang
- A group of laborers under one foreman; a squad or workgang. a gang of sailors; a railroad gang; a labor gang or pool
- A criminal group with a common cultural background and identifying features, often associated with a particular section of a city. a youth gang; a neighborhood gang; motorcycle gang.
- A group of criminals or alleged criminals who band together for mutual protection and profit. The Winter Hill Gang was quite proficient at murdering rival mobsters in order to take over their rackets.
- A group of politicians united in furtherance of a political goal. The Gang of Four was led by Jiang Qing, the fourth wife of Mao Zedong.
- A chain gang.
- A term of address for a group, particularly when cautioning them or offering advice.
- A term of address for any other person or group of people. The sun isn't real? What are you even talking about, gang?
- A group of animals. One day they followed a gang of deer that ran in toward the settlements.
- A group of turkeys. He was not long in discovering a fine gang of turkeys, and after assuring himself that many of them had taken the direction he desired, undertook to regain the covert by another route.
- A combination of similar tools or implements arranged so as, by acting together, to save time or labor; a set. a gang of saws; a gang of plows; a gang drill; gang milling
- A set; all required for an outfit. a new gang of stays
- A number of switches or other electrical devices wired into one unit and covered by one faceplate. an outlet gang box; a double gang switch
- A group of wires attached as a bundle. a gang of wires
- A going, journey; a course, path, track. In unploughed Maine he sought the lumberers’ gang / Where from a hundred lakes young rivers sprang
-
An outhouse: an outbuilding used as a lavatory.
Similar: outhouse
verb gangs · ganging · ganged
- To attach similar items together to form a larger unit. Volume controls may be ganged to mode switches to provide maximum output […]
gang³
- /ˈɡæŋ/
- [ˈɡæŋ]
- /ˈɡeɪ̯ŋ/ Canada, US
- [ˈɡeɪ̯ŋ] Canada, US
- /ˈɡɛ̃ŋ/ Canada, US
- [ˈɡɛ̃ŋ] Canada, US
Sounds like geng (pre-ng tensing) · Rhymes with -æŋ
Where it comes from
See gan.
verb
- Pronunciation spelling of gan
gang⁴
- /ˈɡæŋ/
- [ˈɡæŋ]
- /ˈɡeɪ̯ŋ/ Canada, US
- [ˈɡeɪ̯ŋ] Canada, US
- /ˈɡɛ̃ŋ/ Canada, US
- [ˈɡɛ̃ŋ] Canada, US
Sounds like geng (pre-ng tensing) · Rhymes with -æŋ
Where it comes from
Shortening of gangbang.
verb gangs · ganging · ganged
-
Synonym of gangbang.
He still liked the idea of them all ganging her [...]
Similar: gangbang
gang⁵
- /ˈɡæŋ/
- [ˈɡæŋ]
- /ˈɡeɪ̯ŋ/ Canada, US
- [ˈɡeɪ̯ŋ] Canada, US
- /ˈɡɛ̃ŋ/ Canada, US
- [ˈɡɛ̃ŋ] Canada, US
Sounds like geng (pre-ng tensing) · Rhymes with -æŋ
noun gangs
- Alternative form of gangue
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: crowd, crew, mob, gang up, pack, bunch, ring, work party, swing, skelp, motion, launch, runner, banditry, bandit, progress
Translations
Every language
noun a company of persons
| Español | grupo, pandilla, mara, banda, cuadrilla |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 団 dan, ギャング gyangu, 暴力団 bōryokudan, 一隊 ittai, 群れ mure, 集団 shūdan |
| 中文 | 匪幫 /匪帮 fěibāng, 組 /组 zǔ, 集團 /集团 jítuán, 黨 /党 dǎng |
| हिन्दी | समूह samūh |
| Português | grupo |
| Français | bande, gang |
| Deutsch | Bande, Rotte, Clique, Freundeskreis |
| Italiano | ghenga, masnada, orda |
| Română | bandă |
| Русский | компа́ния kompánija, гру́ппа grúppa, брига́да brigáda, ба́нда bánda, ша́йка šájka, вата́га vatága |
| Tiếng Việt | đoàn, tốp, toán, kíp |
| العربية | عِصَابَة ʕiṣāba |
| עברית | כְּנוּפִיָה k'nufya |
noun a company of labourers
| 中文 | 隊 /队 duì |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Arbeitsmannschaft, Arbeitskolonne, Arbeitstrupp, Arbeitsgruppe |
| Русский | брига́да brigáda, артель artélʹ |
noun criminal group with a common background
| Español | pandilla, patota, cuadrilla, mara, gatada |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 갱 gaeng, 갱단 gaengdan |
| 日本語 | ギャング gyangu |
| 中文 | 幫 /帮 bāng |
| Português | gangue, bando |
| Français | bande, gang |
| Deutsch | Bande, Verbrecherbande, Gangsterbande, Gang |
| Italiano | banda, masnada |
| Русский | ба́нда bánda, ша́йка šájka |
noun group of criminals who band together for mutual protection
| Español | cuadrilla, pandilla |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 조폭 jopok, 갱 gaeng, 폭력단 pongnyeokdan, 갱단 gaengdan, 패거리 paegeori |
| 日本語 | ギャング gyangu, 暴力団 bōryokudan |
| 中文 | 匪幫 /匪帮 fěibāng, 黑幫 /黑帮 hēibāng |
| हिन्दी | गिरोह giroh |
| Português | quadrilha, gangue |
| Français | bande, gang |
| Deutsch | Bande, Gang |
| Italiano | banda, cricca, ganga, torma |
| Ελληνικά | συμμορία symmoría, σπείρα speíra |
| Română | bandă |
| Русский | ба́нда bánda, ша́йка šájka |
| Tiếng Việt | băng, băng đảng |
| العربية | عِصَابَة ʕiṣāba |
| עברית | כְּנוּפִיָה k'nufya |
noun (electrics) a number of switches or other electrical devices wired into one unit and covered by one faceplate
| Español | grupo, mara |
|---|
noun a course, path, track
| Deutsch | Gang |
|---|
Talk about this word "gang." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/gang. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. gang. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/gang "gang." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/gang.Cite this
@misc{gang_2026,
title = {gang},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/gang},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
