gal

1 of 4

noun (1)

: girl, woman

gal

2 of 4

noun (2)

: a unit of acceleration equivalent to one centimeter per second per second
used especially for values of gravity

gal

3 of 4

abbreviation (1)

1
gallery
2
gallon

Gal

4 of 4

abbreviation (2)

Galatians

Examples of gal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Stewart, one of the reigning queens of the art-house American indie, is in her element as a shifty-eyed and awkward tough gal with a heart of gold, yet another entry in her expanding canon of flinty, complicated lead characters. David Sims, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 Now, with Love Lies Bleeding, O'Brian hopes to branch out from the tough gal roles she's previously played. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024 Her most recent incarnation portrays her as a back-to-basics kind of gal, aiming for simplicity and clean-living. Valerie Monroe, Allure, 8 Feb. 2024 There’s a gal here with Silvana who didn’t know who Jackson Browne was, just like. Chris Willman, Variety, 6 Feb. 2024 The three other gals — Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O’Connor and Isabela Merced — well, they were clearly cast for a potential future standalone film, which has to be DOA at this point. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2024 One look at her, and the sentiment holds with regards to the her-story of gals on the Main Stage, too. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2023 Help your gals and pals up their charcuterie game with Berry and Thyme jams. Sarah Murphy, Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2024 Okay, so they might not exactly have been born with tails, but these gorgeous underwater gals can swim with the best of ’em. Priscilla Blossom, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

alteration of girl, by loss of [r] and vowel raising

Noun (2)

Galileo Galilei

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1795, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1914, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gal was in 1795

Dictionary Entries Near gal

Cite this Entry

“Gal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gal. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gal

noun
ˈgal
: girl

Medical Definition

gal

abbreviation
1
galactose
2
gallon

Legal Definition

GAL

abbreviation
guardian ad litem

More from Merriam-Webster on gal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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