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gosling

noun
/ˈɡɒzlɪŋ/UK/ˈɡɑzlɪŋ/CA

Etymology

From Late Middle English goslyng (“gosling”), alteration (due to Middle English goos (“goose”)) of earlier gesling (“gosling”), of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse gæsling, géslingr (“gosling”), from gás (“goose”) + -lingr (“-ling”), equivalent to goose + -ling. Cognate with Danish gæsling (“gosling”), Swedish gässling (“gosling”). Compare also Low German gossel, gössel (“gosling”), German Gänslein (“gosling”).

  1. derived from gæsling
  2. inherited from goslyng — “gosling”

Definitions

  1. A young goose.

    • Marta's gander was a magnificent snow-white bird: the object of terror to foxes, children and dogs. She had reared him as a gosling; and whenever he approached, he would let fly a low contented burble and sidle his neck around her thighs.

  2. An inexperienced and immature, or foolish and naive, young person.

    • Two stout woodmen with difficulty cut down this tree, the chips of which flew far and wide about the hall; but at my command my two green goslings carried away the fragments without any difficulty.

  3. A catkin on willows, nut trees, and pines.

    • When the oak puts on his goslings grey 'Tis time to sow barley night or day.
    • The common Sallow or Goat Willow (Salix caprea) forms a small bush in rough places and the hollows left by old gravel-pits. It produces the “goslings” which children are fond of gathering at Easter .
  4. ›+ 1 more definition

    1. A surname.

The neighborhood

Derived

gosling blast, May gosling

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for gosling. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA