Wiktionary

galore

English

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WOTD – 17 March 2022

Etymology

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PIE word
*ḱóm

Borrowed from Irish go leor and Scottish Gaelic gu leòr, gu leòir (“till sufficient, enough, plenty”) (compare Manx dy liooar), from Irish go, Scottish Gaelic gu (“to; till, until”) + Irish leor, Scottish Gaelic leòr (“ample, sufficient”); go, gu are derived from Old Irish co, cu (“with”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm (“beside, by; near; with”); while leor, leòr are from Old Irish leor, from lour (“enough, sufficient”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leh₂w- (“to gain; to seize; a benefit; a prize”).[1]

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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galore (not comparable)

  1. (postpositive) In abundance. [from late 17th c.]
    Synonyms: aplenty; see also Thesaurus:abundant
    Antonyms: see Thesaurus:rare
    After the shipwreck there was whisky galore to be had for the taking.
    • 1885, Richard F. Burton, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Night 564:
      […] But when I had bestridden the plank, quoth I to myself, "Thou deserveth all that betideth thee. All this is decreed to me of Allah (whose name be exalted!), to turn me from my greed of gain, whence ariseth all that I endure, for I have wealth galore."
    • 2014, Broomshakalaka, spoken by Denny Boffa (Michael McCafferty):
      I am the destroyer of mountains, the killer of kings, I always fly by yet I don't have wings. I can end basketball games or marriages with similar ease, and though I flow like a stream only water can freeze. I've murdered parents and children and house plants galore, yet, despite all this, you always want more. Who am I?

Synonyms

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Translations

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Noun

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galore (plural galores)

  1. (archaic) An abundance; plenty.
    • 1857, Journal of Australasia, volume 2, page 38:
      The usual routine of confections and pastry follows, after which a galore of fruits of all kinds, with a chassè of excellent Mocha, the immediate servitude of which, after good dining, is, I think, universally acknowledged to be a great exhiliration.[sic – meaning exhilaration]
    • 1868, John Donald Carrick, The Laird of Logan, page 91:
      I have got the Innishowen and galores of bread and cheese ready, and all the neighbours are to join us.

Translations

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References

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  1. ^ Compare “galore, [adj.] and n.”, in OED Online  ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, March 2021; “galore, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

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Anagrams

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Yola

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Irish go leor.

Pronunciation

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Adverb

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galore

  1. plenty
    • 1927, “PAUDEEN FOUGHLAAN'S WEDDEEN”, in THE ANCIENT DIALECT OF THE BARONIES OF FORTH AND BARGY, COUNTY WEXFORD, page 133, line 10:
      An potteen galore in cans and noggens,
      And potteen plenty in cans and noggins,

References

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  • Kathleen A. Browne (1927) The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland Sixth Series, Vol.17 No.2, Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, page 133
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