ganger

See also: Ganger, gånger, and -ganger

English

Etymology

From Middle English ganger, from Old English gangere (“a ganger, footman”), equivalent to gang +‎ -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Gunger, West Frisian gonger, Dutch ganger, German Gänger, Danish gjænger, ganger, Swedish gängare, Icelandic gangari.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡæŋə(ɹ)/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

ganger (plural gangers)

1. (chiefly Scotland) One who or that which walks or goes; a goer; a walker.
2. A horse that goes quickly.
3. (business, rail transport) One who oversees a gang of workmen.
   • 1950 March, “Notes and News: Merstham Quarry Derailment”, in Railway Magazine, page 210:

     Primary responsibility must rest with a ganger. He failed to appreciate the danger of disturbing the track, short of ballast, on a very hot day.

   • 1961 November, “Talking of Trains: Derailment near Holmes Chapel”, in Trains Illustrated, page 652:

     The length ganger saw the train passing with the van derailed and promptly telephoned the Sandbach signalman, who restored his signals to danger, but not in time to stop the train before the final derailment occurred.

   • 1996, Janette Turner Hospital, Oyster, paperback edition, Virago Press, page 159:

     'My dad was a railway ganger.'

4. (coal mining) One who is employed in conveying the coal through the gangways.
5. (nautical) A length of chain, one end of which is fastened to an anchor when let go, when the other end is fastened to a hawser.

Derived terms

• black-ganger
• chain-ganger
• footganger
• foreganger

Anagrams

• Gagner, Grange, grange, nagger

Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse gangari (spelt also as gangvari).

Noun

ganger c (singular definite gangeren, plural indefinite gangere)

1. (poetic) steed, mount; riding horse

Declension

Declension of ganger

common gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	ganger	gangeren	gangere	gangerne
genitive	gangers	gangerens	gangeres	gangernes

Synonyms

• ridehest

Verb

ganger

1. present of gange

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch gagnere. Equivalent to gang +‎ -er.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɣɑ.ŋər/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: gan‧ger
• Rhymes: -ɑŋər

Noun

ganger m (plural gangers)

1. (obsolete outside of compounds) A pedestrian.

   Synonym: voetganger

Derived terms

• blindganger
• kettingganger
• kruisganger
• partijganger
• teenganger
• telganger
• voetganger
• zoolganger

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

ganger m

1. indefinite plural of gang

Old Swedish

Alternative forms

• ᚵᛆᚿᚵᚽᚱ

Etymology

From Old Norse gangr, from Proto-Germanic *gangaz.

Noun

ganger m

1. act of walking
2. movement forward
3. path
4. turning

Declension

  Declension of ganger (strong a-stem)

masculine	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	ganger	gangrin	gangar	ganganir, ganganer
accusative	gang	gangin	ganga	gangana
dative	gangi, gange	ganginum, gangenom	gangum, gangom	gangumin, gangomen
genitive	gangs	gangsins	ganga	ganganna

Descendants

• Swedish: gång