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Definition of "gargle" []

  • To force exhaled air through a liquid held in the back of the mouth, with the head tilted back, in order to cleanse or medicate the mouth or throat. (verb-intransitive)
  • To produce the sound of gargling when speaking or singing. (verb-intransitive)
  • To rinse or medicate (the mouth or throat) by gargling. (verb-transitive)
  • To circulate or apply (a medicine or solution) by gargling. (verb-transitive)
  • To utter with a gargling sound. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "gargle" in a sentence
  • "She heard the word "gargle" for the first time the other day, and it joined the list of words deemed funny on the sheer merit of their sound and mouth feel."
  • "It is miserable to have to climb up on one's horse with a head like a buzz saw, the sun very hot, and "gargle" in one's water bottle."
  • "Delete the 'gargle' meta key and value from Post 13."