gavage

[ guh-vahzh; French ga-vazh ]

noun

1. forced feeding, as by a flexible tube and a force pump.

gavage

/ ˈɡævɑːʒ /

noun

1. forced feeding by means of a tube inserted into the stomach through the mouth

Word History and Origins

Origin of gavage¹

1885–90; < French, equivalent to gav ( er ) to stuff ( Old French (dial.) gave gullet, throat) + -age -age

Word History and Origins

Origin of gavage¹

C19: from French, from gaver, from Old French (dialect) gave throat

Example Sentences

Mauritania was once notorious for the custom of brutally force-feeding young girls to make them more marriageable — a practice referred to as gavage, taken from the French term for force-feeding geese to produce foie gras.

From New York Times

Producers of foie gras use a process known as "gavage" to force-feed ducks or geese, causing their livers to swell.

From BBC

The official term for the practice was “gavage.”

From Literature

Campaigners say the funnel or tube used during gavage is painful and can be fatal on its own, and that the birds become fearful of humans and spend their final days in suffering.

From The Guardian

While foie gras can be produced by natural feeding, in France it must be made by a process known as gavage in which ducks and geese are force-fed corn through a tube.

From BBC