gerrymander [E19th] Half-man, half-lizard—that is a gerrymander. In political contexts gerrymandering is manipulating the boundaries of electoral districts to give an advantage to a particular party or class. The term was coined when Elbridge Gerry, governor of Massachusetts in 1812, created a new voting district that appeared to favour his party. Because the shape of this new district vaguely resembled the outline of a salamander, a map, embellished with claws, wings, and fangs, was published in the Boston Weekly Messenger, with the title ‘The Gerry-Mander’.