English Explanatory Dictionary

gobbledygook

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Nonsense; meaningless or encrypted language.
  2. Something written in an overly complex, incoherent, or incomprehensible manner.

Pronunciation

/ˈɡɒb(ə)ldɪˌɡuːk/ /ˈɡɑːb(ə)ldɪˌɡuːk/ en-us-gobbledygook.ogg

Word forms

gobbledygook gobbledygooks gobbledegook gobblygook garbley gook gobbly-gook

Etymology

First attested in a memo by US Representative (Texas) Maury Maverick dated March 30, 1944, banning "gobbledygook language". Apparently coined in imitation of the sounds made by a turkey.

Related words

bureaucratese doubletalk gobblefunk jargon nonsense officialese

Derived words

gobbledygooker
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