gosling
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See also: Gosling
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Late Middle English gosling, goselyng (“gosling”), alteration (due to Middle English goos, gose (“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”).
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
gosling (plural goslings)
- A young goose.
- Synonym: gooseling
- 1988, Bruce Chatwin, Utz, London: Jonathan Cape, →ISBN; republished London: Vintage Books, 2005, →ISBN, page 50:
- 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.
- A callow (“inexperienced, immature”)), or foolish and naive, young person.
- (dated) A catkin on nut trees and pines.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Bailey to this entry?)
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
young goose
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callow, or foolish and naive, young person
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Anagrams[edit]
Middle English[edit]
Noun[edit]
gosling
- Alternative form of goselyng
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from North Germanic languages
- English terms derived from Old Norse
- English words suffixed with -ling (diminutive noun)
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with quotations
- English dated terms
- en:Baby animals
- en:Geese
- Middle English lemmas
- Middle English nouns