gauler

Inherited from Middle French gauler (“to knock down with a pole”), from Old French gauler, wauller (“to fight with a pole”), from gaule, waulle (“long pole, rod”), from Frankish *walu (“stick”), from Proto-Germanic *waluz (“stick, root”), from Proto-Indo-European *welH- (“to turn, wind, roll”). By surface analysis, gaule +‎ -er. More at gaule.

• IPA^(key): /ɡo.le/

• Audio:

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gauler

1. (transitive) to beat, beat down (with a pole)
2. (transitive, colloquial) to catch

   Synonyms: attraper, prendre

   • 2015 January, Virginie Despentes, Vernon Subutex, volume 1, Éditions Grasset, →ISBN, page 16; republished as Frank Wynne, transl., 2018:

     Séverine serrait les dents. Vernon s’était fait gauler bêtement — et il avait été surpris qu’elle ne le quitte pas immédiatement.

     Séverine gritted her teeth. Vernon had been stupidly caught in the act — and had been surprised that she did not leave him there and then.

• “gauler”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.