Noun

Singular gang

Plural gangs

gang (plural gangs)

1. (obsolete) A going; a course.
2. A number going in company; hence, a company, or a number of persons associated for a particular purpose; a group of laborers under one foreman; a squad

   a gang of sailors; a chain gang ; a gang of thieves.

3. A combination of similar implements arranged so as, by acting together, to save time or labor; a set

   a gang of saws, or of plows.

4. A set; all required for an outfit

   a new gang of stays.

5. The mineral substance which incloses a vein; a matrix; a gangue.
6. (Electrical components) The number of switches wired into one face plate.
7. (electrical components) A group of wires attached as a collection;

   a gang of wires.

   Do a drop for the telephone gang, then another drop for the internet gang, both through the ceiling of the wiring closet.

Derived terms

• chain gang
• gang bang
• gang rape

• gangster
• gang up
• gang up on
• gang violence
• street gang

A gang is a group of three or more people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen. In the United Kingdom the word is still often used in this sense, but it later underwent pejoration. The word gang often carries a negative connotation; however, within a gang which defines itself in opposition to mainstream norms, members may adopt the phrase as a statement of identity or defiance. Reports of gang-related homicides are concentrated mostly in the largest cities in the United States, where there are long-standing and persistent gang problems and a greater number of documented gang members—most of whom are identified by law enforcement.

The UN estimate that gangs make most of their money through the drugs trade, they are thought to be worth £352bn in total. The United States Department of Justice estimates there are approximately 30,000 gangs, with 800,000 members, impacting 2,500 communities across the United States.

Gang is from the past participle of Old English gan "to go". It is cognate with Old Norse gangr "a group of men", and it is in this sense that the word is used today, rather than the older meaning.