Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun
- a rubber, metal, or rope ring, for packing a piston or placing around a joint to make it watertight.
- Nautical. any of a number of light lines for securing a furled sail to a boom, gaff, or yard.
noun
- a compressible packing piece of paper, rubber, asbestos, etc, sandwiched between the faces or flanges of a joint to provide a seal
- nautical a piece of line used as a sail stop
- blow a gasket slang to burst out in anger
1620s, caskette “small rope or plaited coil used to secure a furled sail,” of uncertain origin, perhaps from French garcette “little girl, maidservant,” diminutive of Old French garce (13c.) “young woman, young girl; whore, harlot, concubine,” fem. of garçon (see garcon). Sense of “packing (originally of braided hemp) to seal metal joints” first recorded 1829.
see under blow a fuse.