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gird
**Giggs, Ryan** /ɡɪɡz/ (1973–) a British football player who has played for Manchester United and for the Welsh national team
**gig·o·lo** /ˈdʒɪɡələʊ, ˈdʒɪ-/ *n pl.* **-los** a man who is paid to be a woman's lover and companion
**GI Joe** /ˌdʒiː aɪ ˈdʒəʊ/ 1 *AmE infml* a male US soldier, especially during World War II 2 *trademark* a type of DOLL (= a child's toy like a small person) dressed as a male US soldier and played with usually by boys in the US. A similar doll in the UK is called ACTION MAN.
**Gil·bert and Sul·li·van** /ˌɡɪlbət ənd ˈsʌlɪvən||-bərt-/ two British men, W.S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and Sir Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who wrote many humorous OPERETTAS (= plays with songs) from 1871 to 1896. Gilbert wrote the words and Sullivan wrote the music. Their operettas, which include THE MIKADO (1885) and THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE (1879), made fun of politicians and other well-known people of the time, and they are often performed now by people who are not professional singers or actors.
**gild** /ɡɪld/ *v* [T] 1 to cover with a thin coat of gold or gold paint (GILT): *a gilded statue* | (*fig.*) *Sunshine gilded the rooftops.* 2 to give an attractive appearance to, often in a way intended to deceive 3 **gild the lily** to try to improve something that is already good enough, so spoiling the effect
**gill¹** /ɡɪl/ *n* 1 an organ through which a fish breathes → see picture at FISH 2 **green/white about the gills** *infml* or *humor* having a pale sick-looking face as a result of fear, illness etc
**gill²** /dʒɪl/ *n* a measure of liquid → see TABLE 2
**Gil·les·pie, Dizzy** /ɡɪˈlespi/ (1917–93) a US JAZZ musician and TRUMPET player who, with Charlie PARKER, developed the BEBOP style of jazz
**Gil·lette** /dʒɪˈlet/ *trademark* a type of RAZOR and other products for shaving (SHAVE¹) such as SHAVING FOAM
**gil·lie, gilly** /ˈɡɪli/ *n* (in Scotland) a man who acts as a guide and helper to someone who is shooting or fishing for sport
**Gil·li·gan, Andrew** /ˈɡɪlɪɡən/ (1968–) a British reporter who worked for the BBC. After he had spoken to Dr David Kelly, an expert on weapons, he said on the radio that a government report had been changed in order to convince people that Iraq could use dangerous weapons very quickly, and make them believe that a war against Iraq was a good thing to do. Dr David Kelly killed himself after it became known that he had supplied the information for Gilligan's claim. In January 2004 the Hutton Inquiry into the reasons for Kelly's death criticized Gilligan and the BBC for not reporting the facts correctly. As a result, the CHAIRMAN of the BBC and its DIRECTOR-GENERAL decided to leave their jobs, and shortly afterwards Gilligan left his job.
**Gilligan's Island** a US SITCOM, originally shown in 1964–67, about a group of people shipwrecked on a desert island
**Gil·more, Ga·ry** /ˈɡɪlmɔː, ˈɡæri/ (1940–77) a US criminal who became famous because he demanded that the government EXECUTE him (=officially kill him). He was finally shot by a FIRING SQUAD.
**Gil·roy, Bet** /ˈɡɪlrɔɪ/ → see LYNCH, BET
**gilt¹** /ɡɪlt/ *n* 1 [U] shiny material, especially gold, used as a thin covering: *silver gilt | The plates have a gilt edge.* 2 [C] *tech* a GILT-EDGED SHARE 3 **take the gilt off the gingerbread** *BrE infml* to take away the part that makes the whole attractive
**gilt²** *n especially AmE* a young female pig
**gilt'-edged** *adj* (of STOCKS and SHARES, especially those sold by the government) paying a small rate of interest but unlikely to fail, and therefore considered safe
**gim·let** /ˈɡɪmlət/ *n* a tool which is used to make holes in wood so that screws may enter easily: (*fig.*) *He has eyes like gimlets. (=which look very hard and searchingly)*
**gim·me** /ˈɡɪmi/ *nonstandard* give me: *Gimme some bread!*
**gim·mick** /ˈɡɪmɪk/ *n infml, often derog* a trick or object which is used only to attract people's attention, especially in an attempt to sell something: *The pretty girl on the cover of the book is just a sales gimmick.* —**y** *adj*: *gimmicky idea.*
**gin¹** /dʒɪn/ *n* [C;U] (a glass of) a colourless strong alcoholic drink made from grain and certain berries → see also PINK GIN, GIN AND TONIC
**gin²** also **'gin trap** *n BrE* a trap for catching small animals or birds → see also COTTON GIN
**gin³** *n infml* for GIN RUMMY
**,gin and 'tonic** also **G & T** *n* [C;U] a popular alcoholic drink served with ice and a SLICE of LEMON thought of as a typical MIDDLE-CLASS drink
**gin·ger¹** /ˈdʒɪndʒə/ *n* [U] 1 (a plant with) a root with a very hot strong taste, which is used in cooking or covered with sugar and eaten as a sweet etc: *ground ginger | preserved ginger | crystallized ginger* 2 an orange-brown colour: *She has bright ginger hair.* 3 *infml* an active cheerful quality
**ginger²** *v*
**ginger sthg. ⇔ up** *phr v [T]* to make more effective, exciting, or active: *We need some new young recruits to ginger up the company.*
**,ginger 'ale** /ǁ'../ *n* [C;U] (a glass of) a gassy non-alcoholic drink made with ginger and often mixed with other drinks
**,ginger 'beer** /ǁ'../ *n* [C;U] (a glass of) a gassy non-alcoholic drink with a strong taste, made with ginger
**gin·ger·bread** /ˈdʒɪndʒəbred||-dʒər-/ *n* [U] a cake or BISCUIT with ginger in it: *She baked some gingerbread men. (=biscuits in the shape of people)*
**Gingerbread** a British organization which provides support and practical help for single parents and their children
**'ginger group** *n* [C+sing./pl. v] *BrE* a group of people, usually within a political party, who try to urge the leaders of the party to take stronger action on a particular matter
**gin·ger·ly** /ˈdʒɪndʒəlɪ||-dʒərl-/ *adv, adj* (in a way that is) careful and controlled in movement so as not to cause harm: *I reached out gingerly to touch the snake. | She sat down in a rather gingerly fashion on the rickety old chair.*
**'ginger nut** *especially BrE* || **gin·ger·snap** /ˈdʒɪndʒəsnæp||-ər-/ *especially AmE* — *n* a hard BISCUIT with ginger in it
**ging·ham** /ˈɡɪŋəm/ *n* [U] cotton which is usually woven with a pattern of squares and used for making clothes, tablecloths etc. In Britain it is often used for making summer dresses for girls to wear to school.
**gin·gi·vi·tis** /ˌdʒɪndʒɪˈvaɪtɪs/ *n* [U] a medical condition in which the GUMS (=flesh out of which the teeth grow) are red, swollen, and painful
**Gin·grich, Newt** /ˈɡɪŋɡrɪtʃ/ (1943–) a US politician in the REPUBLICAN PARTY who was SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE from 1994 to 1998. He is known for being very determined and very RIGHT WING.
**gi·nor·mous** /dʒaɪˈnɔːməs||-ɔːr-/ *adj BrE infml* very large
**,gin 'rummy** also **gin** *infml, especially AmE* — *n* a simple card game for two people; form of RUMMY
**Gins·berg, Allen** /ˈɡɪnzbɜːɡ||-bɜːrɡ/ (1926–97) a US poet and leader of the BEAT GENERATION, and who criticized US society for its MATERIALISM (=caring only about money and possessions)
**gin·seng** /ˈdʒɪnseŋ||-seŋ, -seŋ/ *n* [U] the root of a plant from East Asia, which is believed to have special medical qualities and to help people stay healthy. It has been used for many years in Korea and China, and it is now also popular in western countries, especially among people who prefer ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE: *a cup of ginseng tea*
**,gin 'sling** *n* a drink made from GIN mixed with water, sugar, and sometimes other things e.g. LEMON juice
**'gin trap** *n* a GIN²
**Giot·to** /ˈdʒɒtəʊ||ˈdʒɑː-/ (1266–1337) an Italian painter and ARCHITECT (=someone who designs buildings) who was one of the most important painters of his time, and painted mostly religious subjects
**gip·py tum·my** /ˌdʒɪpi ˈtʌmi/ *n* [S;U] *infml, BrE* a condition in which one has stomach pains and often needs to pass waste matter from the body, caused especially by eating food that is bad or which one is not used to
**gip·sy** /ˈdʒɪpsi/ *n* a GYPSY
**gi·raffe** /dʒɪˈrɑːf||-ˈræf/ *n pl.* **-raffes** or **raffe** an extremely tall African animal with a very long neck and legs and pale brown fur with dark spots, which eats the leaves from the branches of trees
**gird** /ɡɜːd||ɡɜːrd/ *v* **girded** or **girt** /ɡɜːt||ɡɜːrt/ [T] 1 *lit* to fasten (something) round or to (something or someone):