gosling
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a baby goose.
a young goose before it has developed adult plumage.
Simple“The mother goose led her five small goslings toward the pond.”
In context“We observed a pair of Canada geese protecting their goslings from a nearby predator during our walk along the riverbank.”
- 02 C2 Proficiency
a young person who is foolish or does not have much experience.
a young, inexperienced, or foolish person. Often used with a patronizing tone.
Simple“The old sailor laughed at the young gosling who thought the sea would be calm.”
In context“In the play, the protagonist is portrayed as a mere gosling, easily manipulated by the more cynical members of the court.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
a soft, furry flower that grows on trees like willows.
a catkin, particularly the soft, downy spike of flowers found on willows or nut trees.
Simple“The children gathered willow goslings to feel their soft, grey fur.”
In context“The poet compared the budding goslings on the hazel trees to the first signs of a returning spring.”
Synonymscatkinament
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.