gouge
UK[ɡaʊdʒ]US[ɡaʊdʒ]
v
To make a deep hole or cut in something in a rough or violent way.
v
To overcharge or swindle someone.
n
A chisel with a concave blade, used for cutting grooves or holes in wood.
n
A deep hole or cut made by such a tool or by a similar action.
Etymology
The word 'gouge' presents a journey from a specific tool to a verb describing its action and, by metaphorical extension, a form of financial exploitation. It was borrowed into Middle English from the Old French 'gouge', a term for a chisel with a curved blade designed for scooping grooves. The ultimate origin is obscure but is often traced to a pre-Latin, possibly Celtic source, reflecting the tool's use in woodworking. The semantic development from the physical act of cutting and scooping out material to the figurative sense of swindling someone, as if hollowing out their purse, is a classic example of metaphor driven by the tool's inherent function.
Analysis
The word 'gouge' is a simplex form. It entered English as a loanword from Old French 'gouge', meaning a type of chisel. The Old French term is likely of Celtic origin, possibly from a Gaulish word related to cutting or hollowing.
Examples
The impact was so severe it gouged a deep dent in the car door.
Tourists often complain that some shops gouge them on prices.
The carpenter selected a gouge to hollow out the bowl.