Part 425

2. An imposition or hoax; humbug. [Colloq.]

Gam"mon, v. t. 1. To beat in the game of backgammon, before an antagonist has been able to get his "men" or counters home and withdraw any of them from the board; as, to gammon a person.

2. To impose on; to hoax; to cajole. [Colloq.] Hood.

Gam"mon, v. t. [Etymol. unknown.] (Naut.) To fasten (a bowsprit) to the stem of a vessel by lashings of rope or chain, or by a band of iron. Totten.

Gam"mon*ing, n. [From 5th Gammon.] (Naut.) The lashing or iron band by which the bowsprit of a vessel is secured to the stem to opposite the lifting action of the forestays.

Gammoning fashion, in the style of gammoning lashing, that is, having the turns of rope crossed. -- Gammoning hole (Naut.), a hole cut through the knee of the head of a vessel for the purpose of gammoning the bowsprit.

Gam"mon*ing, n. [From 4th Gammon.] The act of imposing upon or hoaxing a person. [Colloq.]

||Gam`o*gen"e*sis (?), n. [Gr. &?; marriage + E. genesis.] (Biol.) The ||production of offspring by the union of parents of different sexes; ||sexual reproduction; -- the opposite of agamogenesis.

Gam`o*ge*net"ic (?), a. (Biol.) Relating to gamogenesis. -- Gam`o*ge*net"ic*al*ly, adv.

Gam`o*mor"phism (?), n. [Gr. &?; marriage + &?; form, shape.] (Biol.) That stage of growth or development in an organism, in which the reproductive elements are generated and matured in preparation for propagating the species.

Gam`o*pet"al*ous (?), a. [Gr. &?; marriage + E. petalous: cf. F. gamopÈtale.] (Bot.) Having the petals united or joined so as to form a tube or cup; monopetalous.

Ga*moph"yl*lous (?), a. [Gr. &?; marriage + &?; leaf.] (Bot.) Composed of leaves united by their edges (coalescent). Gray.

Gam`o*sep"al*ous (?), a. [Gr. &?; marriage + E. sepal.] (Bot.) Formed of united sepals; monosepalous.

Gam"ut (?), n. [F. gamme + ut the name of a musical note. F. gamme is fr. the name of the Greek letter &?;, which was used by Guido d'Arezzo to represent the first note of his model scale. See Gamma, and Ut.] (Mus.) The scale.

Gam"y (?), a. 1. (Cookery) Having the flavor of game, esp. of game kept uncooked till near the condition of tainting; high- flavored.

2. (Sporting) Showing an unyielding spirit to the last; plucky; furnishing sport; as, a gamy trout.

Gan (?), imp. of Gin. [See Gin, v.] Began; commenced.

Gan was formerly used with the infinitive to form compound imperfects, as did is now employed. Gan regularly denotes the singular; the plural is usually denoted by gunne or gonne.

This man gan fall (i.e., fell) in great suspicion.

Chaucer.

The little coines to their play gunne hie (i. e., hied).

Chaucer.

Later writers use gan both for singular and plural.

Yet at her speech their rages gan relent.

Spenser.

Ganch (?), v. t. [Cf. F. ganche, n., also Sp. & Pg. gancho hook, It. gancio.] To drop from a high place upon sharp stakes or hooks, as the Turks dropped malefactors, by way of punishment.

Ganching, which is to let fall from on high upon hooks, and there to hang until they die.

Sandys.