GBH /dʒiː biː e I tʃ/ N‑UNCOUNT GBH is an abbreviation for grievous bodily harm . [BRIT , INFORMAL ]
GCSE /dʒiː siː es iː / (GCSEs ) N‑VAR GCSEs are British educational qualifications which schoolchildren take when they are fifteen or sixteen years old. GCSE is an abbreviation for 'General Certificate of Secondary Education'. □ She quit school as soon as she had taken her GCSEs. □ …GCSE candidates.
gdn (gdns ) gdn is a written abbreviation for garden , for example in addresses, or in advertisements for houses that are for sale. □ The Piazza, Covent Gdn, WC2. □ …flat, private gdn, close to station.
GDP ◆◇◇ /dʒiː diː piː / (GDPs ) N‑VAR In economics, a country's GDP is the total value of goods and services produced within a country in a year, not including its income from investments in other countries. GDP is an abbreviation for 'gross domestic product'. Compare GNP .
gear ◆◇◇ /g I ə r / (gears , gearing , geared )
1 N‑COUNT The gears on a machine or vehicle are a device for changing the rate at which energy is changed into motion. □ On hills, he must use low gears. □ The car was in fourth gear. □ He put the truck in gear and drove on.
2 N‑UNCOUNT The gear involved in a particular activity is the equipment or special clothing that you use. □ About 100 officers in riot gear were needed to break up the fight. □ …fishing gear. □ They helped us put our gear back into the van.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Gear means clothing. [INFORMAL ] □ I used to wear trendy gear but it just looked ridiculous.
4 V-PASSIVE If someone or something is geared to or towards a particular purpose, they are organized or designed in order to achieve that purpose. □ [be V -ed + to ] Colleges are not always geared to the needs of mature students. □ [be V -ed + towards ] My training was geared towards winning gold in Munich.
▸ gear up PHRASAL VERB [usu passive] If someone is gearing up for a particular activity, they are preparing to do it. If they are geared up to do a particular activity, they are prepared to do it. □ [V P + for/to ] …another indication that the Government is gearing up for an election. □ [be V -ed P to-inf] The factory was geared up to make 1,100 cars a day. COLLOCATIONS gear NOUN 2
noun + gear : camping, diving, fishing, riding; combat, lifting, riot
adjective + gear : high-tech, outdoor, protective
gear|box /g I ə r bɒks/ (gearboxes ) N‑COUNT A gearbox is the system of gears in an engine or vehicle.
gea r lev|er (gear levers ) or gear stick N‑COUNT A gear lever or a gear stick is the lever that you use to change gear in a car or other vehicle. [BRIT ] in AM, usually use gearshift
gear|shift /g I ə r ʃ I ft/ (gearshifts ) also gear shift N‑COUNT In a vehicle, the gearshift is the same as the gear lever . [mainly AM ]
gea r stick → see gear lever
gee /dʒiː / EXCLAM People sometimes say gee to emphasize a reaction or remark. [AM , INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ Gee, it's hot. □ Gee thanks, Stan.
geek /giː k/ (geeks ) N‑COUNT If you call someone, usually a man or boy, a geek , you are saying in an unkind way that they are stupid, awkward, or weak. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
geeky /giː ki/ ADJ If you describe someone as geeky , you think they look or behave like a geek.
geese /giː s/ Geese is the plural of goose .
gee whiz /dʒiː h w I z/ also gee whizz
1 EXCLAM People sometimes say gee whiz in order to express a strong reaction to something or to introduce a remark or response. [AM , INFORMAL , FEELINGS ] □ Gee whiz, they carried on and on, they loved the evening.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] You use gee whiz to describe something that is new, exciting, and impressive, but that is perhaps more complicated or showy than it needs to be. [mainly AM , INFORMAL ] □ The trend now is towards 'lifestyle' electronics–black, shiny gee-whiz things.
gee|zer /giː zə r / (geezers ) N‑COUNT Some people use geezer to refer to a man. [mainly BRIT , INFORMAL , OLD-FASHIONED ] □ …an old bald geezer in a posh raincoat.
Geiger coun|ter /ga I gə r kaʊntə r / (Geiger counters ) N‑COUNT A Geiger counter is a device which finds and measures radioactivity.
gei|sha /ge I ʃə/ (geishas ) N‑COUNT A geisha is a Japanese woman who is specially trained in music, dancing, and the art of conversation. Her job is to entertain men.
gel /dʒe l/ (gels , gelling , gelled ) The spelling jell is usually used in American English and is sometimes used in British English for meanings 1 and 2 . 1 VERB If people gel with each other, or if two groups of people gel , they work well together because their skills and personalities fit together well. □ [V + with ] They have gelled very well with the rest of the side. □ [V ] There were signs on Saturday that the team is starting to gel at last. □ [V ] Their partnership gelled and scriptwriting for television followed.
2 VERB If a vague shape, thought, or creation gels , it becomes clearer or more definite. □ [V + into ] Her interpretation has not yet gelled into a satisfying whole. □ [V ] It was not until 1974 that his ability to write gelled again.
3 N‑VAR Gel is a thick jelly-like substance, especially one used to keep your hair in a particular style.