What does gorger mean?
A gorger is a noun meaning a person who gorges, especially one who eats greedily or to excess. The word is uncommon and usually appears in literary, old-fashioned, or satirical writing, where it may portray an appetite as a moral fault. Its force is blunt: unlike the more neutral gourmand or trencherman, a gorger is defined not merely by a love of food but by excessive consumption. The word is naturally associated with gluttony, greed, and the idea of an appetite that cannot be satisfied. Gorger was formed from the verb gorge by adding the agent suffix -er. The older verb means to eat or swallow greedily, and its vocabulary relatives include gorgeous and gurgle, which ultimately connect with Latin words associated with the throat. Today, gorger is chiefly useful as a vivid, slightly dated label in fiction, satire, and historical writing. It should not be confused with the much more common verb gorge, which names the act of eating voraciously rather than the person doing it.
nounA person who gorges, especially one who eats greedily or excessively.
- A person who gorges; especially, one who eats greedily or to excess.
"The old moralizing text presents the wealthy man as a gorger whose appetite can never be satisfied."
"The satire mocks the governor as a gorger incapable of controlling his appetite."
"At the feast, he ate like a gorger, leaving almost nothing for the others."
The regular plural is used, although the uncommon word rarely requires one.
"The novel portrays the town's wealthiest gorgers with conspicuous disapproval."
A gorger is an appetite with a title: one person reduced to the business of eating too much.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does gorger come from?
Early 17th century, gorger was formed in English from gorge plus the agent suffix -er. The verb gorge comes through Old French gorger, “to stuff oneself with food,” from Old French gorge, “throat,” ultimately from Latin gurges, “throat” or “gullet.” Related forms include gorgeous, from Old French gorgeus, and gurgle, from Latin gurgulare; these belong to a wider vocabulary associated with the throat and the act of swallowing.
How gorger is actually used
Rare and literary, often carrying a moralizing, comic, or openly negative tone. The related verb gorge is much more common in modern English.