Resembling or having the qualities of a gage, pledge, or security deposit; similar to something given as a guarantee.
Compound word from 'gage' plus '-like,' the Old English suffix meaning 'of the same form or appearance.' This productive suffix allows speakers to quickly create descriptive adjectives for comparison purposes.
The '-like' suffix is one of English's most efficient tools—you can instantly make almost any noun into a comparison word, which is why it's been in the language since Old English and remains vibrant today in words like 'agelike' or 'treelike.'
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