Feeding by means of a tube passed down the throat into the stomach, often used for patients unable to swallow or eat normally; also, the food or liquid administered this way.
From French 'gavage,' from 'gaver' (to force-feed), related to 'gave' (a beak or mouth). The technique became common in medical practice in the 19th century.
Gavage shows how medical terminology can be surprisingly poetic—the French root relates to 'beak,' yet it's used to describe a crucial life-saving technique! It's also controversial in animal welfare because force-feeding is sometimes used with geese to make foie gras.
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