Garage

Pronunciation

• UK ;
• UK
• US
• Canada IPA: /ɡəˈɹæ(d)Ê’/
• Hyphenation: ga + rage

Origin

Borrowing from fr {{2}} garage ("keeping under cover, protection, shelter"), derivative of French garer ("to keep under cover, dock, shunt, guard, keep"), from Middle French garer, garrer, guerrer; partly from Old French garir, warir (from Old Frankish *warjan); and partly from Old French varer ("to fight, defend oneself, protect"), from Old Norse varask ("to defend oneself"), reflexive of vara ("to ware, watch out, defend"); both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *warjaną ("to defend, ward off"), *warōną ("to watch, protect"), from Proto-Indo-European *wer- ("to close, cover, protect, save, defend").

Noun

1. A building (or section of a building) used to store a car or cars, tools and other miscellaneous items.
• 1931, w, Death Walks in Eastrepps Chapter 2/2, A little further on, to the right, was a large garage, where the charabancs stood, half in and half out of the yard.
2. (chiefly British, Canada, Australia, NZ)  A place where cars are serviced and repaired.
• 1963, Margery Allingham, The China Governess Chapter 7, The highway to the East Coast which ran through the borough of Ebbfield had always been a main road and even now, despite the vast garages, the pylons and the gaily painted factory glasshouses which had sprung up beside it, there still remained an occasional trace of past cultures.
3. (chiefly British, Canada, Australia, NZ)  A petrol filling station.
4. (dated, 20th century, North America)  An independent automobile repair shop.
5. (attributive)  A type of guitar rock music, personified by amateur bands playing in the basement or garage.
6. (British)  A type of electronic dance music related to house music, with warped and time-stretched sounds.

Usage notes

Historically a commercial garage would offer storage, refueling, servicing, and repair of vehicles. Since the mid-late 20th Century, storage has become uncommon at premises having the other functions. Now refueling, servicing, and repair are becoming increasingly separated from each other. Few repair garages still sell petrol; it is very uncommon for a new filling station to have a mechanic or any facilities for servicing beyond inflating tires; and a new kind of business exists to provide servicing: the oil/lube change shop.

Synonyms

• (a petrol filling station) filling station, gas station North America, petrol station UK

Derived terms

Full definition of garage

Verb

1. To store in a garage.We garaged the convertible during the monsoon months.
• Wodehouse Offing|XIX|I garaged the car and went to Aunt Dahlia's sanctum to ascertain whether she had cooled off at all since I had left her, for I was still anxious about that blood pressure of hers.