WordGarden.iogash
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /ɡˈæʃ/
US
- /ˈɡæʃ/
Meanings
Noun
a long deep cut or wound
a long narrow opening or slash in a surface
vulgar slang for female genitals
Verb
to cut something deeply or leave a long wound
Beyond the definition
A gash is not just a small scratch; it is a long, deep cut in something, usually in skin but sometimes in wood, cloth, or metal. Think of a bad cut from a knife, broken glass, or a sharp piece of metal. It suggests real damage and often bleeding. A fall on sharp rocks or a slip with a garden tool could leave someone with a nasty gash that needs stitches. The word gives a strong sense of sudden injury or force.
It can also describe a deep mark or opening in a surface, like a gash in a car door or in the bark of a tree. Sometimes it is used in a figurative way for something that feels like a sharp break or ugly damage, but the physical meaning is much more common.
A gash refers to a long, deep cut or tear, usually made by something sharp or rough. Unlike a scrape or a shallow cut, it goes farther into the surface and often causes clear damage or bleeding. You might imagine a person getting a gash from a knife, broken glass, or a fall on sharp rocks. You can also use it for damage to other things, such as a deep gash in a car door, a wall, a piece of wood, or the bark of a tree.
The word carries a sense of force, accident, or violence. You might read about a soldier with a gash from a blade, a hiker with a gash on the leg after a fall, or a box with a gash torn into its side. It is often used when the damage looks serious, ugly, or painful, not minor or neat.
Sometimes, gash is used figuratively for a harsh break in how something looks or feels, but that use is less common. In most everyday cases, the word points to visible physical damage: a deep wound, a torn opening, or a sharp cut in a surface.
Whether it describes an injury on a body or damage to an object, gash usually suggests a long, deep, noticeable cut. It is a stronger word than cut because it makes you think of rough force, clear harm, and something that may take time to heal or repair.
Examples
- 1
Injury
He had a deep gash on his forehead after the fall.
- 2
Vehicle damage
A sharp branch left a gash down the side of the car.
- 3
Accidental cut
She gashed her hand on a piece of broken glass.
- Patterngash your hand on + sharp object
get a deep cut from it
- 4
Visual metaphor
From a distance, the road looked like a pale gash across the hillside.
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- gashnounverb
Forms
- gashespluralnounverb
- gashedpast tenseverbnoun
- gashing-ing formverbnoun