gabriel ratchet

noun

ga·bri·el rat·chet

ˈgābrēəlˌrachə̇t

dialectal

: the cries of migrating wild geese flying by night which are often popularly explained as the baying of a supernatural pack of hounds and to which various superstitious significances (as forebodings of evil) are attributed

Word History

Etymology

Middle English Gabrielle rache, from Gabriel, one of the seven archangels, the herald of good tidings (Luke 1), thought of as blowing a trumpet on Judgment Day + rache hound

Cite this Entry

Style

“Gabriel ratchet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gabriel%20ratchet. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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