▪ I. gar, n.
(gɑː(r))
Also garr, guard.
[Short f. garfish.]
a. A fish of the Pike or Esox family of the genus Belone, having long bill-like jaws; the gar-fish or gar-pike.
| 1765 J. Bartram Jrnl. 27 Dec. in Stork Acc. E. Florida (1766) 10 'Tis full of large fish, as cats, garr, mullets. 1791 W. Bartram Carolina 145 Alligators and gar were numerous in the bason. 1849 N.S. Wales, etc. xi. 99 The best kind of fish are guard, mullet, and schnapper. 1857 R. Tomes Amer. in Japan vi. 136 The varieties of fish are not numerous. Among those taken in the seine belonging to the ‘Susquehanna’, there were..two varieties of perch, the gar, and the common ray. 1893 Critic (U.S.) 7 Jan. 9/1 Thus charming days were passed..watching gars playing leap-frog with Brer Turtle [etc.]. |
b. A ganoid fish of the genus Lepidosteus, having a similar general form but with rhombic scales. alligator-gar, a gar (L. tristœchus) with a head somewhat resembling that of an alligator.
| 1843 Marryat Mons. Violet xliv, The alligator gar is sometimes ten feet long. 1885 C. F. Holder Marvels Anim. Life 32, I have seen the great armoured gar rise again and again for the air. |
▪ II. gar, v. Chiefly Sc. and north. dial.
(gɑː(r))
Forms: 3–4 ger, 4–5 gere, 5 gerre, 4–7 gare, 6–8 garr(e, 3– gar.
[a. ON. ger(v)a, g{obar}r(v)a, gjǫr(v)a, geyra (Sw. göra, Da. gjöre) to make, do, etc. = OE. ᵹięrwan (also ᵹearwian) to prepare (see yare v.), OS. garuwian, gerwian, OHG. *garwjan (recorded form gar(a)wan; MHG. gärwen, gerwen, mod.G. gärben, gerben):—OTeut. *garwjan, f. the adj. *garwu- ready = OE. ᵹearo yare (cf. gare a.). The orig. sense of the Scand. verb ‘to do’, ‘to make’ (something), is rare in Eng. which chiefly employs ‘gar’ with the meaning ‘to cause’ (to do or to be done) agreeing with one of the uses of the vb. make.]
† 1. trans. To do, perform; to make. Obs. rare.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 13835 Vr halidai noght he for-beres, Bot mani dedes o þaim he geres. 1428 Surtees Misc. (1888) 3 And so he gart yarof, als he graunted, ixxx peces & xij. 1457 Nottingham Rec. II. 366 For garyng of iij. mals and nels. c 1460 Towneley Myst. (E.E.T.S.) iv. 104 Thi lufly chere makis my hert glad, And many a tyme so has it gart. 1662 Kinross Witch Trial in Proc. Soc. Antiq. Scot. (1888) 231 He, being leading his father's peats..throo a heap of the said Janet Paton's muck, the said Janet said she should gar him alse good. |
2. To make, to cause, in various constructions. a. with simple obj.: To cause, to occasion. rare.
| c 1460 Towneley Myst. (E.E.T.S.) ii. 44 Gog gif the sorow, boy; want of mete it gars. 1590 Lodge Euphues' Gold. Leg. in Halliw. Shaks. VI. 67 Alas, said he, what garres thy grief? a 1592 Greene Jas. IV, i. Wks. (Rtldg.) 195/2 What gars this din of mirk and baleful harm. 1855 Robinson Whitby Gloss., Gar, to cause, to compel. ‘It gars me great pain.’ |
b. with obj. and active inf. (to usually omitted): To make or cause one to do something, etc.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 17160 (Gött.) Oft þu geris mi wondis blede. a 1340 Hampole Psalter xix. 8 [xx. 7] Proude horsis þat will stumbill & gere vs breke oure neke. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xx. 56 He cutte awey treuthe, And gert gyle growe þere. c 1420 Lay Folks Mass Bk., York Hours 43 Þai..gerte hym bere on his bak þe cros. 15.. Chevy Chase ii. 15 in Percy's Rel., Many a doughete the garde to dy. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. II. 310 Fals Fortoun..makis him to fall Doun fra the hicht, garrand him licht so law. 1589 Peele Eclog. i. Wks. (Rtldg.) 561/1 Herdgroom, what gars thy pipe to go so loud? a 1670 Spalding Troub. Chas. I (1829) 9 The earl..resolves to gar one devil ding another. 1724 Ramsay Tea-t. Misc. (1733) I. 101 My dady was harsh, My minny was warse, That gart him gae yont the sea. 1790 Burns Tam O'Shanter 123 He screw'd the pipes and gart them skirl. 1816 Scott Antiq. ix, But ye like to gar folk look like fools. 1878 Cumbld. Gloss, Gar, to compel. ‘A'll gar tha gang.’ 1894 Crockett Lilac Sunbonnet 68 A dinnle in the elbuck that garred ye loup like a troot. |
† c. with obj. and inf. pass.: To cause something to be done; to have something done. Obs.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 4870 Pharaon, þat all his will can gar be don. c 1350 Will. Palerne 2793 Greue þe nouȝt for goddes loue þat gart þe be fourmed. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) iii. 8 Saynt Anne..wham saynt Helene gert be broght fra Ierusalem. 1469 Plumpton Corr. 21 Also that you gar the malt be windowd. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xxvi. 567, I shall gare theym bothe to be hanged. 1549 Compl. Scot. 2 The actis that ȝour prudens garris daly be exsecut. 1585 Jas. I Ess. Poesie (Arb.) 50 Mount heigh vp through the air, To gar thy heat and beames be law and neir. |
† d. with inf. (rarely preceded by to) simply: to gar do, gar make, etc.: To cause to be done, made, etc. Obs.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 64 Ageyn þe erle Godwyn he gert sette assise. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. vi. 147 Gregorie þe grete clerk gart write in bokes The ruele of alle religious. 1429 Test. Ebor. (Surtees) 420 Labour that he sall do and gar do for me. 1470–85 Malory Arthur ii. vi, He garte to vnarme hym and bete hym with thornys. Ibid. xx. xvi, I wylle founde & gar make an hows of relygyon. c 1500 Lancelot 2416 Euery thyng that In yhour myster lyis, I sall gar ordan at yhour awn dewys. 1570 Buchanan Chamæleon Wks. (1892) 47 He sollicitat some previe men gar hang hir. a 1615 Cron. Erlis of Ross (1850) 20 He gart bigg two stone barns. |
† 3. To cause to go, to drive. Obs. rare.
| 1586 J. Hooker Chron. Irel. in Holinshed II. 179/1 The erle..had not beene heard of since he was garred out of Harlo wood. 1611 L. Barry Ram Alley v. in Hazl. Dodsley X. 363 By heaven I'll gar my whinyard through your womb! |
4. Wrongly used for: To be amiss with, to ail.
| 1614 J. Davies Eglog. Willie & Wernocke 8 What gars my Willy that he so doth wane? 1640 King & Poor North. Man 209 in Hazl. E.P.P. IV. 301 What gares these bables and babies all? Some ill have they done that they hang by the walls? |
▪ III. gar, int.
(gɑː(r))
= gad.
| 1598 [see begar]. 1877 Besant & Rice Harp & Cr. iv. 29 Gar! If I could crush him to powder beneath my feet. |