Gore Means Blood, to Pierce, and a Triangle of Cloth
Gore is spilled blood. Two other gores mean piercing with a horn and a wedge-shaped piece of fabric.
Gore is blood shed from a wound; to gore is to pierce with a horn or tusk. A third, unrelated *gore* is a triangular piece of cloth inserted to shape a garment, from Old English *gara*, a spear-shaped strip of land. It survives in tailoring, in umbrella panels, and in English place names such as Kensington Gore. The blood sense is Old English *gor*, which originally meant filth or dung rather than blood specifically.
- Shed blood. *Blood and gore.*
- To pierce with a horn. *Gored by a bull.*
- A cloth triangle. *A gored skirt.*
- Gory — bloody. *Gory.*
- Old English — *gor*, filth. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | gore | Gore. |
| Verb | gore | Gored. |
| Adjective | gory | Gory. |
| Compound | gored skirt | A gored skirt. |
| Old English | gara | A triangular strip. |
- The film was full of gore.Blood.
- He was gored by the bull.Piercing.
- A gore shapes the skirt.Tailoring.
What a gore does in tailoring
- A triangular panel is inserted into a seam
- It adds width at one end without adding it at the other
- A gored skirt is narrow at the waist and full at the hem
- Umbrella canopies are made of gores for the same reason
- The name comes from a spear-shaped strip of land
Old English *gor*, filth or dung, narrowing to blood. The cloth sense is Old English *gara*, a triangular piece.
What is a gore in dressmaking?
A triangular panel inserted into a seam, adding width at one end. It is how a gored skirt flares from waist to hem.
Did gore always mean blood?
No. Old English gor meant filth or dung, and narrowed to shed blood later.