giglet, giglot, a wanton. Meas. for M. v. 352; B. Jonson, Sejanus, v. 4 (Sej.), where it is applied to Fortune; Middleton, Family of Love, i. 2 (Gudgeon). In prov. use in various parts of England and Scotland (EDD.). ME. gygelot, ‘agagula’ (Prompt. EETS. 191). Cp. F. gigolette, ‘grisette, faubourienne courant les bals publics’ (Delesalle).
gilder, a ‘guilder’, an old Dutch coin. Comedy of Errors, i. 1. 8. Du. gulden, ‘a guilder’ (Sewel); with n not pronounced, it sounds like gilder to an English ear. See Dict. (s.v. Guilder).
gill, a wench, servant-maid. Butler, Hudibras, ii. 2. 709; ‘A gill or gill-flirt, gaultiere, ricalde’, Sherwood. A pet name for Gillian or Juliana.
gilt, a jocose term for money. Middleton, A Mad World, ii. 2 (Follywit); Family of Love, v. 3 (Dryfat).
gilt-head, a name given to various fishes. Webster, Devil’s Law-case, i. 1 (Romelio); Hakluyt, Voy. iii. 520, l. 7. Applied to fishes marked on the head with golden spots or lines; such as the bonito, the dorado or dolphin, and the golden wrasse.
gim, smart, spruce. Vanbrugh, The Confederacy, i. 3 (Mrs. Amlet). In prov. use in Lancashire and E. Anglia, see EDD. (s.v. Jim, adj.).
gimcrack, an affected or worthless person, a fop. Fletcher, Loyal Subject, iv. 2 (Theodore). Also, a fanciful notion, Massinger, Duke of Milan, iv. 3 (Graccho).
gimmal, in pl. gimmals, gimols, joints, links, connecting parts of machinery, Gosson, Trump. War, F 5 (NED.). Hence gimmaled, made with gimmals or joints, ‘The jymold (gimmaled) bitt’, Hen. V, iv. 2. 49; spelt gymould, made with links (applied to mailed armour), K. Edw. III, i. 2. 29. ME. gymew, gymowe, ‘gemella’ (Prompt. EETS. 191, see note no. 877). OF. gemel (F. gemeau), L. gemellus, twin. See [jimmal-ring].
gimmors, links in machinery, esp. for transmitting motion as in clockwork. 1 Hen. VI, i. 2. 41. ‘Gimmer’ (‘jimmer’) is a name for a hinge in the north country and in E. Anglia, see EDD. (s.v. Jimmer, sb.1).
gin, to begin. Macbeth, i. 2. 25; Peele, Tale of Troy (ed. Dyce, p. 556); gan sort to this, began to grow to this, grew to this; Peele (as above).