The 4 letter words with definitions, separated alphabetically.
Now updated for CSW24. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.
| gabs | (3rd.) GAB, to chatter. |
| gaby | (Dial.) a simpleton > GABIES. |
| gach | to behave boastfully > GACHES, GACHING, GACHED. |
| gade | A miner's wedge > GADES. Also GAD, GAID. |
| gadi | (Marathi) the cushioned throne of an Indian ruler > GADIS. Also GADDI. |
| gads | (3rd.) GAD, to wander about idly or in pursuit of pleasure. |
| gaed | (Pt.) GAE, to go. |
| gaen | (Pt.) GAE, to go. |
| gaes | (3rd.) GAE, to go. |
| gaff | A hook for catching large fish; (verb) to catch with such a hook > GAFFS, GAFFING, GAFFED. |
| gaga | (Fr.) in senile dotage. |
| gage | (Verb) to bind by pledge or security; to stake, wager > GAGES, GAGING, GAGED. |
| gags | (3rd.) GAG, to silence. |
| gaid | A miner's wedge > GAIDS. Also GAD, GADE. |
| gain | (Adj.) near, straight; convenient > GAINER, GAINEST; GAINLY; (verb) to acquire > GAINS, GAINING, GAINED. |
| gair | (Scots) a gore (in cloth or land) > GAIRS. |
| gait | (Verb) to teach (a horse) its gaits > GAITS, GAITING, GAITED. |
| gajo | (Romany) a non-gypsy > GAJOS. Also GORGIO, GADJO. |
| gaks | (Pl.) GAK, cocaine. |
| gala | A celebration > GALAS. |
| gale | A strong wind > GALES. |
| gall | An abrasively-induced skin sore; (verb) to make sore by rubbing > GALLS, GALLING, GALLED. |
| gals | (Pl.) GAL, a girl. |
| gama | (Spanish) a kind of pasture grass found in the Western United States > GAMAS. |
| gamb | A beast's whole leg > GAMBS. Also GAMBE. |
| game | Plucky > GAMER, GAMEST; GAMELY; (verb) to gamble > GAMES, GAMING, GAMED. |
| gamp | A large, baggy umbrella > GAMPS. |
| gams | (Pl.) GAM, a school of whales. |
| gamy | Tasting like game, highly flavoured > GAMIER, GAMIEST; GAMILY. Also GAMEY. |
| gane | (Pt.) GAE, to go. |
| gang | (Verb) to associate in a gang > GANGS, GANGING, GANGED. |
| gank | (v) to steal, take, or defraud. |
| gans | (3rd.) GAN, to go. |
| gant | (Scots) to yawn > GANTS, GANTING, GANTED. |
| gaol | To jail > GAOLS, GAOLING, GAOLED. |
| gape | To stare with open mouth > GAPES, GAPING, GAPED. |
| gapo | (Tupi) in Peru, a riverside forest periodically flooded > GAPOS. Also IGAPO. |
| gaps | (3rd.) GAP, to make a gap in. |
| gapy | Infested with GAPEWORMS > GAPIER, GAPIEST. |
| garb | A fashion of dress; (verb) to clothe, array > GARBS, GARBING, GARBED. |
| gare | (Scots) greedy, miserly. |
| gari | (Japanese) thinly sliced pickled ginger, often served with sushi > GARIS. |
| gars | (Pl.) GAR, a garfish. |
| gart | (Pt.) GAR, to compel. |
| gash | (Adj.) ghastly > GASHER, GASHEST; GASHLY; (verb) to cut > GASHES, GASHING, GASHED. |
| gasp | To breathe convulsively > GASPS, GASPING, GASPED. |
| gast | (Obs.) to frighten > GASTS, GASTING, GASTED. |
| gate | To supply with a gate (a movable barrier) > GATES, GATING, GATED. |
| gath | (Sanksrit) the second section of a RAGA > GATHS. Also GAT. |
| gats | (Pl.) GAT, a gun. |
| gaud | A trick or practical joke; (verb) to paint e.g. the cheeks > GAUDS, GAUDING, GAUDED. |
| gaum | (ON) to stare vacantly or handle in a clumsy manner > GAUMS, GAUMING, GAUMED. [ON gaumr heed, attention]. Also GORM. |
| gaun | (Scots) going. |
| gaup | To stare and gape > GAUPS, GAUPING, GAUPED. Also GAWP, GAWK, GORP. |
| gaur | (Hindi) a kind of wild ox, aka SELADANG > GAURS. |
| gaus | (Pl.) GAU, a German political district. |
| gave | (Pt.) GIVE, to transfer freely to another's possession. |
| gawd | (Coll.) God > GAWDS. |
| gawk | To stare and gape > GAWKS, GAWKING, GAWKED. Also GAWP, GAUP, GORP. |
| gawp | To stare and gape > GAWPS, GAWPING, GAWPED. Also GAUP, GORP, GAWK. |
| gaws | (Pl.) GAW, an imperfect rainbow or other supposed sign of coming weather. |
| gays | (Pl.) GAY, a homosexual. |
| gaze | To look intently > GAZES, GAZING, GAZED. |
| gazy | Given to gazing > GAZIER, GAZIEST. |
| geal | (Dial.) to congeal > GEALS, GEALING, GEALED. |
| gean | The wild cherry > GEANS. |
| gear | To provide with gears (toothed machine parts) > GEARS, GEARING, GEARED. |
| geat | The channel or spout through which molten metal runs into a mold in casting > GEATS. |
| geck | (Verb) to mock, dupe > GECKS, GECKING, GECKED. |
| geds | (Pl.) GED, a pike. |
| geed | (Pt.) GEE, to hurry up. |
| geek | A weirdo, a nerd > GEEKS. [Originally a carnival barker who attracted visitors to sideshows by biting the heads of live chickens or snakes]. |
| geep | A creature produced by combining DNA from a sheep and a goat > GEEPS. |
| gees | (3rd.) GEE, to hurry up. |
| geez | An interjection expressing consternation. Also JEEZ. |
| geit | A child > GEITS. Also GET, GYTE, GAITT. |
| geld | To castrate an animal, esp. a horse > GELDS, GELDING, GELDED. |
| gels | (3rd.) GEL, to form a gelatinous substance. |
| gelt | (Sl.) money, profit > GELTS. |
| gems | (3rd.) GEM, to adorn with gems. |
| gena | (Lat.) the cheek or side of the head > GENAS. |
| gene | A hereditary unit > GENES. |
| gens | (Lat.) an ancient Rome a clan including several families descending from a common ancestor > GENTES. |
| gent | (Abbr.) gentleman > GENTS. |
| genu | (Lat.) the knee > GENUA. |
| geos | (Pl.) GEO, a gully or creek. |
| gere | (Spenser) gear > GERES. |
| germ | (Verb) to put forth buds, sprout > GERMS, GERMING, GERMED. |
| gers | (Pl.) GER, a kind of felt tent, a yurt. |
| gert | (Dial.) very big. |
| gest | An exploit; a tale of adventure > GESTS. [L. gestus, pp. of gerere, to wage, to accomplish]. Also GESTE. |
| geta | (Japanese) a wooden sandal with a thong between the toes > GETAS. |
| gets | (3rd.) GET, to obtain. |
| geum | (Lat.) a plant of the Geum genus of the rose family, aka AVENS > GEUMS. |
| ghat | (Hindi) (in India) a mountain pass; a landing stage; a place for cremation > GHATS. Also GHAUT. |
| ghee | (Hindi) clarified butter > GHEES. Also GHI. |
| ghis | (Pl.) GHI, clarified butter. |
| gibe | To scoff, mock > GIBES, GIBING, GIBED. Also JIBE, |
| gibs | (Pl.) GIB, a wedge-shaped piece of metal. |
| gids | (Pl.) GID, a disease of sheep. |
| gied | (Pt.) GIE, to give. |
| gien | (Pt.) GIE, to give. |
| gies | (3rd.) GIE, to give. |
| gifs | (Pl.) GIF, a type of computer image. |
| gift | (Verb) to make a gift > GIFTS, GIFTING, GIFTED. |
| giga | (Ital.) a lively Italian dance > GIGAS or GIGHE. Also GIGUE. |
| gigs | (3rd.) GIG, to play a gig. |
| gila | A large lizard native to Arizona, New Mexico, etc > GILAS. |
| gild | To cover with a thin layer of gold > GILDS, GILDING, GILDED or GILT; also (obs.) GILDEN or GYLDEN. |
| gill | (Verb) to catch fish by the gills > GILLS, GILLING, GILLED. |
| gilt | A young sow that has not farrowed > GILTS. |
| gimp | A yarn with a hard core; (verb) to make or furnish with this > GIMPS, GIMPING, GIMPED. Also GUIMP, GYMP. |
| ging | (Obs.) a gang or company > GINGS. |
| gink | (Sl.) a fellow > GINKS. |
| ginn | (Pl.) DJINNI, one of a class of spirits in Muslim theology. Also DJINN, JINN. |
| gins | (3rd.) GIN, to trap or snare. |
| gios | (Pl.) GIO, an inlet. |
| gips | (Pl.) GIP, a cheat, swindle. |
| gird | To surround > GIRDS, GIRDING, GIRDED or GIRT. |
| girl | A female child > GIRLS. |
| girn | (Dial.) to grin, make faces > GIRNS, GIRNING, GIRNED. Also GURN. |
| giro | A system of credit transfer between banks, post offices, etc.; spec. a system run by the British Post Office for the banking and transfer of money > GIROS. |
| girr | (Scots) a hoop, for a barrel or used as a child's plaything > GIRRS. Also GIRD. |
| girt | (Verb) to gird > GIRTS, GIRTING, GIRTED. |
| gism | (Coll.) energy, force; semen > GISMS. Also JISM, JISSOM. |
| gist | The essence, the main point of a matter > GISTS. |
| gite | (Fr.) in France, a farmhouse offering holiday accommodation > GITES. |
| gits | (Pl.) GIT, a stupid person. |
| give | To transfer freely to another's possession > GIVES, GIVING, GAVE, GIVEN; to put gyves on > GIVES, GIVING, GIVED. |
| gizz | (Scots) a wig > GIZZES. Also JIZ. |
| gjus | (Pl.) GJU, a fiddle. |
| glad | Joyful > GLADDER, GLADDEST; GLADLY; (verb) to make glad > GLADS, GLADDING, GLADDED. |
| glam | Characterised by extravagant glamour > GLAMMER, GLAMMEST; (noun) a greying, leisured, affluent married person; (verb) to glamourise > GLAMS, GLAMMING, GLAMMED. |
| gled | The common kite > GLEDS. Also GLEDE. |
| glee | (Scots) to squint > GLEES, GLEEING, GLEED. Also GLEY. |
| gleg | (Scots) quick, sharp > GLEGGER, GLEGGEST; GLEGLY. |
| glei | (Russian) a sticky clay soil > GLEIS. Also GLEY. |
| glen | A narrow valley with a stream, often with trees > GLENS. |
| gley | (Scots) to squint > GLEYS, GLEYING, GLEYED. Also GLEE. |
| glia | (Greek) the supporting tissue of the brain and spinal cord > GLIAS. [Gk. glia, glue]. Also NEUROGLIA. |
| glib | (Verb) to make glib; to castrate > GLIBS, GLIBBING, GLIBBED; (adj.) slippery, smooth > GLIBBER, GLIBBEST; GLIBLY. |
| glid | (Scots) slippery > GLIDDER, GLIDDEST. Also GLIDDER, GLIDDERY. |
| glim | A glimpse; a light, a lantern > GLIMS. |
| glit | Sticky, slimy or greasy material > GLITS. |
| glob | A roundish drop or dollop of a semi-liquid substance, esp. mucus > GLOBS. |
| glom | (Sl.) to steal; to take a look > GLOMS, GLOMMING, GLOMMED. |
| glop | (Verb) to stare in alarm or wonder > GLOPS, GLOPPING, GLOPPED. |
| glow | To emit light and heat > GLOWS, GLOWING, GLOWED. |
| glue | To fasten with glue (an adhesive substance) > GLUES, GLUING or GLUEING, GLUED. |
| glug | To make a gurgling sound > GLUGS, GLUGGING, GLUGGED. |
| glum | Morose > GLUMMER, GLUMMEST; GLUMLY; noun) a gloomy feeling > GLUMS. |
| glut | To feed or fill to excess > GLUTS, GLUTTING, GLUTTED. |
| gnar | To snarl or growl > GNARS, GNARRING, GNARRED. Also GNARR, KNAR, GNARL. |
| gnat | Any small fly of the family Culicidae, of which the females are commonly bloodsuckers > GNATS. |
| gnaw | To chew with the teeth > GNAWS, GNAWING, GNAWED or GNAWN. |
| gnow | In W. Australia, the MALLEE fowl > GNOWS. |
| gnus | (Pl.) GNU, a kind of antelope. |
| goad | To drive animals with a goad (a pointed stick) > GOADS, GOADING, GOADED. |
| goaf | A space in a coal-seam, into which waste is packed > GOAFS. |
| goal | (Verb) in Rugby, to convert a try into a goal > GOALS, GOALING, GOALED. |
| goas | (Pl.) GOA, a Tibetan gazelle. |
| goat | A horned mammal > GOATS. |
| gobi | (Hindi) a cauliflower. |
| gobo | A device used to protect a camera lens from light > GOBOS or GOBOES. |
| gobs | (3rd.) GOB, to spit. |
| goby | Any fish of the genus Gobius with ventral fins forming a sucker > GOBIES. |
| gods | (3rd.) GOD, to deify, treat as a god. |
| goel | The avenger of blood among the Hebrews, the next of kin whose job it was to hunt down a murderer > GOELS. |
| goer | One that goes > GOERS. |
| goes | (3rd.) GO, to proceed. |
| goey | Enterprising, go-ahead > GOIER, GOIEST. |
| goff | (Arch.) golf; to play golf > GOFFS, GOFFING, GOFFED. |
| gogo | A discotheque > GOGOS. |
| goji | the vitamin-rich berry of a solanaceous plant, aka wolfberry > GOJIS. |
| gold | A metallic element > GOLDS; (adj.) the colour of gold > GOLDER, GOLDEST. |
| gole | (Milton) a goal > GOLES. |
| golf | To play golf (a type of ball game) > GOLFS, GOLFING, GOLFED. |
| golp | A purple ROUNDEL > GOLPS. Also GOLPE. |
| gone | Departed. |
| gong | A metal disc, usu rimmed, that sounds when struck or rubbed with a drumstick; (verb) to summon by sounding a gong > GONGS, GONGING, GONGED. |
| gonk | A stuffed toy > GONKS. |
| gons | (Pl.) GON, a geometrical grade. |
| good | Having suitable qualities > BETTER, BEST; (noun) that which is morally or ethically right > GOODS. |
| goof | (Verb) to make a blunder > GOOFS, GOOFING, GOOFED. |
| goog | (Aust. sl.) an egg > full as a goog means drunk > GOOGS. |
| gook | (Offensive) a native of an occupied country > GOOKS. |
| gool | (Scots) a marigold > GOOLS. Also GOOLD, GULE. |
| goon | A hired thug > GOONS. |
| goop | A fool, a fatuous person > GOOPS. |
| goor | (Hindi) an unrefined cane sugar > GOORS. Also GUR. |
| goos | (Pl.) GOO, sticky stuff. |
| gora | (Hinglish) a white or fair-skinned male > GORAS. |
| gore | To pierce with a horn or tusk > GORES, GORING, GORED. |
| gori | (Hinglish) a white or fair-skinned female > GORIS. |
| gorm | (ON) to stare vacantly or handle in a clumsy manner > GORMS, GORMING, GORMED. [ON gaumr heed, attention]. Also GAUM. |
| gorp | To stare and gape > GORPS, GORPING, GORPED. Also GAUP, GAWP, GAWK. |
| gors | (Pl.) GOR, a seagull. |
| gory | Like gore, covered with blood > GORIER, GORIEST; GORILY. |
| gosh | A mild substitute or euphemism for God. |
| goss | (Dial.) to spit > GOSSES, GOSSING, GOSSED. |
| goth | A morbid style of rock music and fashion characterized by black clothes and heavy make-up > GOTHS. |
| gouk | (Scots) a cuckoo; a fool, an April fool > GOUKS. Also GOWK. |
| gout | A disease in which defective metabolism of uric acid characteristically causes arthritis, esp. in the smaller bones of the feet > GOUTS. |
| govs | (Pl.) GOV, governor. |
| gowd | (Scots) gold > GOWDS; (adj.) golden > GOWDER, GOWDEST. |
| gowf | (Scots) to strike, cuff; to play golf > GOWFS, GOWFING, GOWFED. |
| gowk | (Scots) a cuckoo, a fool > GOWKS. Also GOUK. |
| gowl | (Scots) to cry or howl > GOWLS, GOWLING, GOWLED. |
| gown | A loose flowing outer garment; (verb) to attire in a gown > GOWNS, GOWNING, GOWNED. |
| grab | To grasp suddenly > GRABS, GRABBING, GRABBED. |
| grad | (Coll.) a graduate > GRADS. |
| gram | A unit of mass in the metric system, formerly that of a cubic centimetre of water at 4°C, now a thousandth part of the International Prototype Kilogram > GRAMS. Also GRAMME. |
| gran | A grandmother > GRANS. |
| grat | (Pt.) GREET, to weep. |
| grav | A unit of acceleration > GRAVS. |
| gray | Grey > GRAYER, GRAYEST; GRAYLY; (verb) to make grey > GRAYS, GRAYING, GRAYED. |
| gree | (Verb) to agree > GREES, GREEING, GREED. |
| gren | (Spenser) to grin > GRENS, GRENNING, GRENNED. |
| grew | (Noun) a greyhound; (verb) to shudder, to make the flesh creep > GREWS, GREWING, GREWED. Also GRUE. |
| grex | (Lat.) a group of plants that has arisen from the same hybrid parent > GREXES. |
| grey | Of a mixture of black and white > GREYER, GREYEST; GREYLY; (verb) to make grey > GREYS, GREYING, GREYED. |
| grid | A grating, network > GRIDS, GRIDDED. |
| grig | A cricket, a grasshopper; a sand-eel; (verb) to fish for grigs (in sense of sand-eels) > GRIGS, GRIGGING, GRIGGED. |
| grim | Forbidding > GRIMMER, GRIMMEST; GRIMLY. |
| grin | To smile broadly > GRINS, GRINNING, GRINNED. |
| grip | To take hold of > GRIPS, GRIPPING, GRIPPED, GRIPT or GRYPT. |
| gris | A flight of steps > GRISES. Also GRECE, GREE, GREES, GRESE, GRICE, GRIECE, GRIZE, GREESE, GREESING, GRESSING, GRECIAN. |
| grit | (Verb) to spread with grit > GRITS, GRITTING, GRITTED; (adj.) (Scots) great > GRITTER, GRITTEST. |
| griz | a grizzly bear > GRIZ. |
| grog | Diluted spirit, usually rum, as an alcoholic drink; (verb) to extract the spirit from the wood of casks by soaking it in hot water > GROGS, GROGGING, GROGGED. |
| grok | (Coll.) to understand thoroughly and intuitively > GROKS, GROKKING, GROKKED. |
| grot | A grotto > GROTS. |
| grow | To cultivate > GROWS, GROWING, GREW, GROWN. |
| grrl | as in riot grrl, a young woman who plays or enjoys an aggressively feminist style of punk rock music > GRRLS. |
| grub | (Verb) to dig > GRUBS, GRUBBING, GRUBBED. |
| grue | Horror; (verb) to shudder, to feel the flesh creep > GRUES, GRUING, GRUED. Also GREW. |
| grum | Glum, morose > GRUMMER, GRUMMEST; GRUMLY. |
| guac | (n) (short for) guacamole. |
| guan | (Spanish) a large noisy American arboreal game bird > GUANS. |
| guar | (Hindi) a legume grown for forage and its seeds which yield guar gum > GUARS. |
| gubs | (Pl.) GUB, a white man. |
| guck | Slimy, gooey muck > GUCKS. Also GUNK. |
| gude | (Scots) good. Also GUID. |
| gues | (Pl.) GUE, kind of violin formerly used in the Shetlands. |
| guff | Nonsense, humbug > GUFFS. |
| guga | (Gaelic) a young gannet, eaten as a delicacy in the Hebrides > GUGAS. |
| guid | (Scots) good. Also GUDE. |
| gula | (Lat.) the upper part of the throat > GULAS. [L. gula, throat]. |
| gule | (Scots) a marigold > GULES. Also GOOL, GOOLD. |
| gulf | (Verb) to engulf > GULFS, GULFING, GULFED. |
| gull | (Verb) to dupe, deceive > GULLS, GULLING, GULLED. |
| gulp | To swallow rapidly > GULPS, GULPING, GULPED. |
| guls | (Pl.) GUL, an Oriental carpet design. |
| guly | Of colour GULES (heraldic red). No comp! |
| gump | (Noun) a complete nitwit; (verb) to catch fish with the bare hands, to GUDDLE > GUMPS, GUMPING, GUMPED. |
| gums | (3rd.) GUM, to stick with gum. |
| gung | As in gung ho. |
| gunk | Any unpleasant, dirty, sticky material (orig. the trademark of a grease solvent) > GUNKS. |
| guns | (3rd.) GUN, to shoot. |
| gups | (Pl.) GUP, gossip or prattle. |
| gurl | (Scots) to growl > GURLS, GURLING, GURLED. |
| gurn | (Dial.) to grin, make faces > GURNS, GURNING, GURNED. Also GIRN. |
| gurs | (Pl.) GUR, an unrefined cane sugar. |
| guru | (Hindi) a Hindu teacher > GURUS. Also GOOROO. |
| gush | To flow forth forcefully > GUSHES, GUSHING, GUSHED. |
| gust | A sudden blast of wind; (verb) to blow in gusts > GUSTS, GUSTING, GUSTED. |
| guts | (Verb) to eat greedily > GUTSES, GUTSING, GUTSED. |
| guvs | (Pl.) GUV, governor. |
| guys | (3rd.) GUY, to make fun of, ridicule by innuendo. |
| gyal | (Hindi) an Indian domesticated ox > GYALS. Also GAYAL. |
| gyan | (Hindi) knowledge. |
| gybe | In sailing, to shift from side to side > GYBES, GYBING, GYBED. Also JIBB, JIBE. |
| gymp | A yarn with a hard core; (verb) to make or furnish with this > GYMPS, GYMPING, GYMPED. Also GIMP, GUIMP. |
| gyms | (Pl.) GYM, gymnasium. |
| gyno | (Short for) a gynoecologist > GYNOS. |
| gyny | (Coll.) gynaecology > GYNIES. Also GYNAE, GYNIE. |
| gypo | a small-time logging operator > GYPOS. |
| gyps | (3rd.) GYP, to cheat. |
| gyre | To move in a circle or spiral > GYRES, GYRING, GYRED. |
| gyri | (Pl.) GYRUS, a convoluted ridge between two grooves. |
| gyro | A gyrocompass; a gyroscope > GYROS. |
| gyte | (Scots) a child, a brat > GYTES. |
| gyve | A fetter; (verb) to put fetters on > GYVES, GYVING, GYVED. Also GIVE. |