gasket

gasket
\ \ [17] Although it has never been established for certain, it seems likely that gasket may have originated as a word meaning ‘little girl’ – namely French garcette. This is a diminutive of gracegirl’, the feminine form of garsboy’ (whence garçon). It is used figuratively for a ‘small rope’, and was originally borrowed into English in the 17th century as gassit, used as a nautical term for a ‘small rope for attaching a furled sail to a mast’.
\ \ Modern English gasket, first recorded in the early 17th century, seems to be an alteration of this. The main present-day sense ‘joint seal’ (originally made from tow or plaited hemp) developed in the early 19th century.

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • gasket — [gas′kit] n. [prob. altered < Fr garcette < OFr garcete, small cord, orig., little girl, dim. of garce, fem. of gars, boy < ML * warkjone < Frank * wrakjo, mercenary soldier; akin to OE wrecca, WRETCH] 1. a piece or ring of rubber,… …   English World dictionary

  • Gasket — Gas ket, n. [Cf. F. garcette, It. gaschetta, Sp. cajeta caburn, garceta reef point.] 1. (Naut.) A line or band used to lash a furled sail securely. {Sea gaskets} are common lines; {harbor gaskets} are plaited and decorated lines or bands. Called… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • gasket — 1620s, caskette small rope or plaited coil used to secure a furled sail, of uncertain origin, perhaps from Fr. garcette little girl, maidservant, dim. of O.Fr. garce (13c.) young woman, young girl; whore, harlot, concubine, fem. of garçon (see… …   Etymology dictionary

  • gasket — [n] seal cap, covering, packing, stopper; concepts 85,160 …   New thesaurus

  • gasket — ► NOUN ▪ a sheet or ring of rubber or other material sealing the junction between two surfaces in an engine or other device. ORIGIN originally denoting a cord securing a furled sail to the yard of a sailing ship: perhaps from French garcette thin …   English terms dictionary

  • Gasket — [ thumb|sright|250px|Some seals and gaskets 1. o ring 2. fiber washer 3. paper gaskets 4. cylinder head gasket] A gasket is a mechanical seal that fills the space between two objects, generally to prevent leakage between the two objects while… …   Wikipedia

  • gasket — A material made of asbestos, cardboard, cork, paper, rubber, or soft metal placed between two metal parts to insure proper sealing. Also see base gasket blown head gasket cylinder head gasket head gasket liquid gasket oil pan gasket rocker cover… …   Dictionary of automotive terms

  • gasket — /ˈgæskət / (say gaskuht) noun 1. anything used as a packing or jointing material for making joints fluid tight. 2. a suitably punched asbestos sheet, usually sandwiched between thin sheets of copper, for making a gastight joint, especially… …  

  • gasket — gas|ket [ gæskət ] noun count a flat ring of rubber, metal, or plastic that you put between two surfaces in a pipe or machine so that liquid or gas cannot escape blow a gasket SPOKEN 1. ) INFORMAL to suddenly become very angry 2. ) if a machine… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • gasket — UK [ˈɡæskɪt] / US [ˈɡæskət] noun [countable] Word forms gasket : singular gasket plural gaskets a flat ring of rubber, metal, or plastic that you put between two surfaces in a pipe or machine so that liquid or gas cannot escape • blow a gasket …   English dictionary

  • gasket — gas|ket [ˈgæskıt] n [Date: 1600 1700; Origin: Probably from French garcette, from Old French, little girl ] 1.) a flat piece of material, often rubber, placed between two surfaces so that steam, oil, gas etc cannot escape 2.) blow a gasket a) if… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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