to apply the gag
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Said of applying the closure in the House of Commons. Here gag is some- thing forced into the mouth to prevent speech.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to apply the gag” mean?
Said of applying the closure in the House of Commons. Here gag is some- thing forced into the mouth to prevent speech.
Is “to apply the gag” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.