gander
1 Americannoun
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the male of the goose.
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Slang. a look.
Take a gander at his new shoes.
noun
noun
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a male goose
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informal a quick look (esp in the phrase take ( or have ) a gander )
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informal a simpleton
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
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.
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
Go on and take a gander at the ingredients list.
From Salon • Nov. 25, 2024
Khem’s shift doesn’t start for another 15 minutes or so, but without complaint she walks behind the counter and takes a gander.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 3, 2023
Tanya Juarez and her friend Troy Medina sat on a bench, taking a gander at the paddle boats shaped not like geese, but like swans.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2023
This is when Scoob actually takes a gander at their surroundings.
From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone
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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.