gent
pronunciation
How to pronounce gent in British English:
UK [dʒent]
How to pronounce gent in American English:
US [dʒɛnt]
-
- Noun:
- informal abbreviation of `gentleman'
- a boy or man
Word Origin
- gent (n.)
- colloquial shortening of gentleman, by 17c. (in early uses it is difficult to distinguish the shortening from the common abbreviation gent.), which is perhaps the origin of this use. "Early in the nineteenth century the word was colloquial and slightly jocular; about 1840 its use came to be regarded as a mark of low breeding" [OED].
Example
- 1. Combat gent is taking an e-commerce only approach .
- 2. But it doesn 't mean they aren 't dedicated to getting combat gent in front of serious investors .
- 3. I spoke with one gent recently who knew almost more about the team than I did .
- 4. Has the little gent been wearing a tent ?
- 5. He was a perfect gent .