What does "gomer" mean?
Alternative form of gomer.
Gomer
name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·2 syllables ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Alternative form of gomer.
- Grammar: gomer is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: idiot.
- Usage evidence: On the morrow, the 16th, after having offered to God the homer, they began eating the corn of the country; and the 17th the manna ceased to fall from heaven. What supports this calculation is, that the gomer, or sheaf, was offered the 16th of Nisan, in broad day-light, though pretty late.
How to use "gomer"
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Meaning check
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Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "gomer" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "gomer" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
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3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 Alternative form of gomer. alt-of, alternative
- 2 Alternative form of omer: a former Hebrew unit of dry volume equal to about 2.3 L or 2.1 quarts. alt-of, alternative, archaic, historical
"On the morrow, the 16th, after having offered to God the homer, they began eating the corn of the country; and the 17th the manna ceased to fall from heaven. What supports this calculation is, that the gomer, or sheaf, was offered the 16th of Nisan, in broad day-light, though pretty late."
- 3 A conical chamber at the breech of the bore in heavy ordnance, especially in mortars.
"[Table] of dimensions of howitzers, stone and Gomer mortars, vol. 1. p. 250."
- 4 A stupid, awkward, or oafish person. derogatory, slang
"“Lordy Jeezus,” he said out loud. When did he become such a gomer?"
- 5 An undesirable hospital patient, or a patient who does not need medical care. derogatory
"That patient is a total GOMER. Turf him and let's get some lunch."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 Alternative form of GOMER. alt-of, alternative
- 7 An inept trainee or serviceperson. US, derogatory, slang
"These recruits were given such sobriquets as moron, idiot, or Gomer (after the television marine Gomer Pyle). There were constant comparisons between wayward recruits and animals or vegetables."
- 8 A dirty, senile, or otherwise unpleasant patient. derogatory, slang
"It was 3:00 a.m. and an elderly homeless person had just been admitted to the emergency room. [...] One resident seemed tired and angry and said, "I can't believe we got beeped out of bed for this gomer.""
- 9 An opponent in combat or in training. US, slang
"We were almost invisible in our tiger stripes and ghillie suits. However, as the unit marched by, a lone gomer broke rank and ventured into the high, wet saw grass that concealed our position."
- 10 A patient who does not respond to medical treatment. informal, slang
"The number of problems the two groups of patients presented to physicians was comparable; however, the pattern of their hospital stays contrasted dramatically. Gomer patients remained in the hospital longer than other patients, and had more consultations for diagnosis and therapy, and posed more diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas for the physicians who cared for them."
- 11 A male animal (cattle, swine, horse mainly) used to arouse a female or detect, through her induced behavior, her hormonal availability for reproduction. Also called a teaser, a gomer may or may not be neutered, unless this element draws the line between those two synonyms. This particular meaning could also be the originator of the Gomer Pyle entry and not be a derivative.
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname. countable
- 2 The eldest son of Japheth. Equivalent to the Cimmerians. countable, uncountable
"The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"On the morrow, the 16th, after having offered to God the homer, they began eating the corn of the country; and the 17th the manna ceased to fall from heaven. What supports this calculation is, that the gomer, or sheaf, was offered the 16th of Nisan, in broad day-light, though pretty late."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "gomer"?
Common synonyms include: idiot.
How do you use "gomer" in a sentence?
On the morrow, the 16th, after having offered to God the homer, they began eating the corn of the country; and the 17th the manna ceased to fall from heaven. What supports this calculation is, that the gomer, or sheaf, was offered the 16th of Nisan, in broad day-light, though pretty late.
Etymology
Etymology 1
See gomer, Etymology 4.
Etymology 2
From Latin gomor in the Vulgate, from Ancient Greek γομόρ (gomór) in the Septuagint, from Hebrew עומר ('ómer, “sheaf; unit of dry measure”).
Etymology 3
After Louis-Gabriel de Gomer, the French artillery officer who invented the design. Attested in English since the early nineteenth century.
Etymology 4
Likely from the oafish fictional character Gomer Pyle from the 1960s American sitcom The Andy Griffith Show.
Etymology 5
Uncertain. Perhaps the same as, or influenced by Etymology 3, above. It is frequently claimed that the word is an acronym for "grand old man of the emergency room", or for "Get Out of My ER", the latter story popularized by the 1978 novel The House of God by Samuel Shem. John Algeo (1991) notes that various people claim the word is an acronym or is borrowed from Hebrew גמר (G-M-R, “finish; complete”), but suggests that these accounts are dubious. He concludes that a connection to Gomer Pyle or to the "stupid, awkward person" sense of the word is the most likely source. The Oxford English Dictionary online (2003) likewise treats the "undesirable patient" and "stupid person" senses as uses of the same word.
Etymology 6
From Biblical Hebrew גֹּמֶר (gōmer). Compare Ancient Greek Κιμμέριος (Kimmérios) and Neo-Assyrian 𒆳𒄀𒂇𒊏𒀀𒀀 (Gimirrāya).