gang1

 
Pronunciation: /gaŋ/

noun

  • 1an organized group of criminals: a gang of bank robbers [as modifier]: gang warfare
  • a group of young people involved in petty crime or violence: three men were attacked by a gang of youths a street gang
  • informal a group of people, especially young people, who regularly associate together.
  • an organized group of people doing manual work: a government road gang
  • 2a set of switches, sockets, or other electrical or mechanical devices grouped together: the machine had a gang of cutter chains on a swivelling head [as modifier, in combination]: a three-gang switch

verb

  • 1 [no object] (gang together) (of a number of people) form a group or gang: three banks ganged together to form a ‘virtual bank’
  • (gang up) join together in order to intimidate or oppose someone: they ganged up on me and nicked my pocket money
  • 2 [with object] arrange (electrical devices or machines) together to work in coordination: adjacent faders can be ganged for common manipulation

Origin:

Old English, from Old Norse gangr, ganga 'gait, course, going', of Germanic origin; related to gang2. The original meaning was 'going, a journey', later in Middle English 'a way', also 'set of things or people which go together'