gosling

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See also: Gosling

English

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Two geese with four goslings.

Alternative forms

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Etymology

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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”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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gosling (plural goslings)

  2. A young goose.
    Synonym: gooseling
    Coordinate terms: duckling, cygnet, swanling
    • 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.
  3. An inexperienced and immature, or foolish and naive, young person.
    • 1862 April 19, “Mediums Under Other Names”, in All the Year Round, volume 7, page 132:
      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.
  4. (dated) A catkin on willows, nut trees, and pines.
    • 1797, Botanical Dialogues, Between Hortensia and Her Four Children, page 8:
      These Aments (we must no longer call them catkins) are composed both of male and female flowers; what Henry calls goslings in spring are the Aments of the willow tree ; his green goslings are female Aments , and , when mature , have the appearance of little tufts of wool, which appearance is caused by the downy material that crowns their feeds;
    • 1893, “Tree Proverbs”, in The Journal of Education, volume 37, page 170:
      When the oak puts on his goslings grey 'Tis time to sow barley night or day.
    • 1901, Edward North Buxton, Epping Forest, page 116:
      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 .
    • 2018, John Lewis-Stempel, The Wood: The Life & Times of Cockshutt Wood:
      In the afternoon: cut back the crack willow around the pool; the fluffy flowers fall on the water. Locally, the flowers are known as 'goslings'. Water. It has no motion of its own; it is the mechanic betrayer of other forces. the breeze gently drifts the goslings to the far shore.

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • → Irish: góislín

Translations

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Anagrams

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Middle English

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Noun

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gosling

  1. Alternative form of goselyng
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