gander
noun
the male of the goose.
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gander
1 American
[gan-der]
/ ˈgæn dər /
noun
-
the male of the goose.
-
Slang. a look.
Take a gander at his new shoes.
Gander
2
American
[gan-der]
/ ˈgæn dər /
noun
gander
British
/ ˈɡændə /
noun
-
a male goose
-
informal a quick look (esp in the phrase take ( or have ) a gander )
-
informal a simpleton
gander
Idioms
Etymology
Origin of gander
before 1000; 1910–15 gander for def. 2; Middle English; Old English gan ( d ) ra; cognate with Middle Low German ganre, Dutch gander; akin to goose, German Gans
Explanation
A gander is a male goose, and also an insult meaning "simpleton," a bit like calling someone "a silly goose." Besides being the proper name for a male goose and a slang word for silly man, the word gander also shows up in the idiom "take a gander." The slang sense of gander comes from the meaning recorded in 1886, to take a long look by craning one's neck like a goose, or wander foolishly (again, like a goose).
Vocabulary lists containing gander
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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.
For instance, take a gander at this not-so-little equation: $1.75 trillion divided by $18.674 billion equals 93.71 times.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
Don’t take our word for it—take a gander at developments in commodity prices besides energy, or financial gaming parlors such as the private-credit market.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
Shakespeare pulls a coup at the end of the first act that I won’t spoil except to say that what’s good for the goose proves dramaturgically viable for the gander.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 18, 2025
Go on and take a gander at the ingredients list.
From Salon • Nov. 25, 2024
But Yoyo would get rid of the goose only to have to contend with the gander.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
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.
