English · Word Candidate

gore

/ɡɔː/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: gores · goring · gored

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Blood, especially that from a wound when thickened due to exposure to the air.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Carnage, bloodshed, murder, violence.

Noun

Examples

The zombie scenes are reminiscent of what you might see on a show like The Walking Dead, short bursts of extreme violence and gore punctuating expository dialogue scenes where the survivors try to figure out how they’re going to get from point A to point B.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

To pierce with a horn or tusk.

Verb

Examples

The bull gored the matador.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

A triangular piece of land where roads meet.

Noun

Examples

I have a number of these, but this gentleman up in the gore just below the arrow was traveling in the fast lane of 495.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “gore” mean?

Blood, especially that from a wound when thickened due to exposure to the air.

Is “gore” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.