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
Taz the emu and Alfred the kid were born around the same time, and have now added gosling Wiggle to their gang at Caenhill Countryside Centre in Devizes, Wiltshire.
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2021
They help her to raise an orphaned gosling and deal with a harsh winter and a lost foot.
From Washington Post • May 3, 2016
They have also covered 13 gosling eggs with oil to prevent them from hatching, and they aim to cover more, said Anne Wong, director of landscape management.
From New York Times • May 6, 2011
“Please, please, please take us to the Fair!” begged a gosling.
From "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White
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.
