I. gang 1 S3 /ɡæŋ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: 'way, journey' ; the modern meaning comes from the idea of a group of people "going" together ]
1 .
a) a group of young people who spend time together, and who are often involved in crime or drugs and who often fight against other groups:
two rival street gangs
gang member/member of a gang
The parents have denied that their son is a gang member.
the problem of inner-city gang violence
a victim of gang warfare
b) a group of young people together in one place, especially young people who might cause trouble
gang of
There were always gangs of kids hanging around the mall.
2 . a group of criminals who work together:
Several gangs were operating in the area.
Armed gangs have hijacked lorries.
gang of
a gang of smugglers
3 . informal a group of friends, especially young people:
The whole gang will be there next weekend.
4 . a group of workers or prisoners doing physical work together
⇨ ↑ chain gang
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + gang
▪ a criminal gang
He had links with drug smuggling and criminal gangs.
▪ an armed gang (=with guns)
An armed gang stole jewels worth more than five million pounds.
▪ a rival gang
Fighting between rival gangs left dozens of people injured.
▪ a street gang (=which spends a lot of time on the streets)
He belonged to a notorious street gang which terrorized a Chicago suburb.
▪ a teenage/youth gang
At age nine, Pedro joined one of the youth gangs in his neighborhood, just to survive.
■ gang + NOUN
▪ a gang member/a member of a gang
Gang members are thought to be responsible for up to 20% of murders in the city.
▪ a gang leader
Gang leaders used cellphones to order the attacks.
▪ gang violence
Residents say that gang violence is common.
▪ gang warfare (=fighting between gangs)
Gang warfare is wrecking the neighborhood.
▪ gang crime (=crime committed by gangs)
The initiative aims to cut gang crime in Los Angeles.
▪ gang activity
In most areas, gun crime is linked to gang activity.
■ verbs
▪ join a gang
He was only eight when he joined the gang.
▪ belong to a gang
Eleven men belonging to a local gang were arrested.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ of people
▪ group several people together in the same place:
A group of boys stood by the school gate.
|
Arrange yourselves in groups of three.
▪ crowd a large group of people who have come to a place to do something:
There were crowds of shoppers in the streets.
|
The crowd all cheered.
▪ mob a large, noisy, and perhaps violent crowd:
An angry mob of demonstrators approached.
▪ mass a large group of people all close together in one place, so that they seem like a single thing:
The square in front of the station was a solid mass of people.
▪ bunch informal a group of people who are all similar in some way:
They’re a nice bunch of kids.
▪ gang a group of young people, especially a group that often causes trouble and fights:
He was attacked by a gang of youths.
▪ rabble a noisy group of people who are behaving badly:
He was met by a rabble of noisy angry youths.
▪ horde a very large group of people who all go somewhere:
In summer hordes of tourists flock to the island.
|
There were hordes of people coming out of the subway.
▪ crew a group of people who all work together, especially on a ship or plane:
the ship’s crew
|
The flight crew will serve drinks shortly.
▪ party a group of people who are travelling or working together:
A party of tourists stood at the entrance to the temple.
II. gang 2 BrE AmE verb
gang together phrasal verb
if people gang together, they form a group in order to do something together, especially to oppose something:
The smaller shopkeepers ganged together to beat off competition from the supermarkets.
gang up on/against somebody phrasal verb
if people gang up on someone, they join together to attack, criticize, or oppose them, especially in a way that seems unfair:
Schoolchildren are quick to gang up on anyone who looks or behaves differently.