gosling
Americannoun
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a young goose
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an inexperienced or youthful person
Etymology
Origin of gosling
1375–1425; late Middle English goselyng; see goose, -ling 1; cognate with Old Norse gæslingr
Explanation
A baby goose is called a gosling. If you visit a farm in the springtime you'll get to see all the calves, ducklings, lambs, chicks, and goslings! The word gosling has Scandinavian roots — it comes from the Old Norse gæslingr, adding a diminutive suffix to gos, or "goose." So a gosling is essentially a "gooseling," like a duckling, a smaller and cuter version of an animal. Goslings hatch from eggs in nests built close to a body of water, and they are taught to swim and feed in the water almost immediately after they hatch.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Roz adopts an abandoned gosling that she names Brightbill, and the man-made machine is now a mother, flooded with compassion for her young charge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2025
An animated robot named Roz adapts to its new surroundings after being shipwrecked on a deserted island, and develops a parental bond with an orphaned gosling.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2024
They schedule its care, using dormitory lamps to warm the unhatched gosling, which James names Crookshanks.
From New York Times ● Jan. 18, 2022
Adults reading it aloud will smile as Roz, with her “computer brain packed full of parenting advice,” guides her curious gosling to take his place in the world.
From Washington Post ● May 3, 2016
“Swim! Swim!” said the gosling, shaking his tail feathers.
From "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
