SG Heritage Dictionary

Gage [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1828

1. A box or inclosure, made of boards, or with lattice work of wood, wicker or wire, for confining birds or beasts. For the confinement of the more strong and ferocious beasts, a cage is sometimes made of iron.

2. An inclosure made with pallisades for confining wild beasts.

3. A prison for petty criminals.

4. In carpentry, an outer work of timber, inclosing another within it; as the cage of a wind mill or of a stair case.

Gage [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

1. A pledge or pawn; something laid down or given as a security for the performance of some act by the person depositing it, and forfeited by nonperformance; security.

2. A glove, cap, or the like, cast on the ground as a challenge to combat, and to be taken up by the accepter of the challenge; a challenge; a defiance.

3. A variety of plum; as, the greengage; also, the blue gage, frost gage, golden gage, etc., having more or less likeness to the greengage. See Greengage.

4. To give or deposit as a pledge or security for some act; to wage or wager; to pawn or pledge.

5. To bind by pledge, or security; to engage.

6. A measure or standard. See Gauge, n.

Gage [Verb transitive] Webster's Dictionary 1913

To measure. See Gauge, v. t.

Gage Encyclopedia Britannica

GAGE, Thomas (1720-1787), governor of Massachusetts, second son of the first Viscount Gage, was born in England in 1720. He entered the army at an early age, became lieutenant-colonel of the 44th regiment of foot in 1750, was made major-general and governor of Montreal in 1761, and in 1763 succeeded Amherst in the command of the British forces in America. In 1774 he was appointed governor of Massachusetts, and in that capacity was entrusted with carrying into effect the Boston Port Act. In this political crisis, by his hesitancy in adopting measures against the leaders of the insurrectionary party, and contenting himself with fortifying Boston, he enabled the Americans to mature their plans in comparative security. The battle at Lexington, in which a detachment sent by him, on the 18th April 1775, to destroy the cannon and ammunition at Concord was defeated, inaugurated the American revolutionary war. On the 12th June he proclaimed martial law, and proscribed Samuel Adams and John Hancock, offering pardon to all the other rebels who should return to their allegiance; but the result of these measures was at once to exasperate and encourage the Americans. Although Gage gained the nominal victory of Bunker’s Hill (June 17), he was unable to raise the siege of Boston; and being shortly afterwards superseded by General Howe, he sailed for England. He died in 1787.

9th ed. Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 10, p. 14
[230 words — estimated reading time: 2 minutes]

Gaged [Participle passive] Webster's Dictionary 1828

Pledged; measured.

Gaged [Imperfect tense and past participle] Webster's Dictionary 1913

of Gage

Gager [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1828

One who gages or measures the contents.

Gager [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

A measurer. See Gauger.

Gagern Encyclopedia Britannica

GAGERN, Hans Christoph Ernst, Baron von (1766-1852), a German statesman and political writer, was born at Kleinniederheim, near Worms, January 95, 1766. After completing his studies at the universities of Leipsic and Göttingen, he entered the service of the prince of Orange-Nassau, whom in 1791 he represented at the imperial diet. He was afterwards appointed ambassador to Paris, where he remained till the decree of Napoleon, forbidding all persons born on the left side of the Rhine to serve any other power than France, compelled him to resign his office. He then retired to Vienna, and in 1812 he endeavoured to promote insurrection against Napoleon in Tyrol, On the failure of thi3 attempt he left Austria and joined the headquarters of the Prussian army. When the prince of Orange became king of the Netherlands, Baron Gagern was appointed his prime minister, and in 1815 he represented him at the congress of Vienna, and succeeded in obtaining for the Netherlands a considerable aggrandisement of territory. From 1816 to 1818 he continued to be Netherland ambassador at the German diet, where, while endeavouring to promote German unity, he also advocated the adoption of measures which should secure the indepcnd∙ ence of the individual states. In 1820 he retired with a pension to his estate of Hornau, in Hesse-Darmstadt; but, as a member of the first chamber of the states of the grand duchy, he continued to take an active share in the promotion of measures for the welfare of his country. He retired from public life in 1848, and died at Hornau, 22d October 1852. Three of the sons of Baron Gagem have attained considerable eminence—one as a soldier, and two, who are still living (1879), as politicians....

9th ed. Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 10, p. 14
[339 words — estimated reading time: 2 minutes]