gosling

[goz-ling]

See more synonyms for gosling on Thesaurus.com

noun

a young goose.
a foolish, inexperienced person.

Origin of gosling

1375–1425; late Middle English goselyng; see goose, -ling¹; cognate with Old Norse gæslingr

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for gosling

Contemporary Examples

The gosling's best chance at surviving the jump is to bounce off the cliff on its soft belly.
Barnacle Gosling’s Death-Defying Cliff Dive
Alex Chancey, The Daily Beast Video
October 28, 2014
Whenever the script seems ready to surrender to maudlin excess, Gosling and McAdams are there to pull it back.
A Love Letter to ‘The Notebook,’ a Melodrama That Commits to Its Sentimentality
Teo Bugbee
June 26, 2014
At times, Gosling appears to have weightier concerns in mind.
Ryan Gosling’s Bizarre Directorial Debut, ‘Lost River,’ Features Sadism, Warlords, and Rat Murder
Richard Porton
May 21, 2014
Gosling is just as adept at wearing what Jannuzzi says is the next trend for summer: the tank top.
Jude Law and the Great Male ‘He-Vage’ Crisis
Tim Teeman
May 20, 2014
The heartbroken masses got two last films from Gosling in 2013, both exceptional: Place Beyond the Pines and Only God Forgives.
The Biggest Surprises and Disappointments in 2013
Melissa Leon
December 24, 2013

Historical Examples

Mr. Gosling mentioned a balloon that had escaped from Paris in July.
The Book of the Damned
Charles Fort
Nor a gosling,” murmured Pepé; “and a gosling only betrays himself by trying to sing.
Wood Rangers
Mayne Reid
He knocked at the door and the gosling said: "Who is knocking at the door?"
Italian Popular Tales
Thomas Frederick Crane
The wolf, well satisfied, saluted the gosling and went away.
Italian Popular Tales
Thomas Frederick Crane
And indeed he did blow down the house and ate up the gosling.
Italian Popular Tales
Thomas Frederick Crane

British Dictionary definitions for gosling

gosling

noun

a young goose
an inexperienced or youthful person

Word Origin

C15: from Old Norse gæslingr; related to Danish gäsling; see goose 1, -ling 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for gosling

n.

mid-14c. (late 13c. as a surname), from Old Norse gæslingr, from gos "goose" (see goose (n.)) + diminutive suffix. replaced Old English gesling. The modern word may be a Middle English formation from Middle English gos "goose."

gosling

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}gosling

Examples from the Web for gosling

Contemporary Examples

The gosling's best chance at surviving the jump is to bounce off the cliff on its soft belly.

Whenever the script seems ready to surrender to maudlin excess, Gosling and McAdams are there to pull it back.

At times, Gosling appears to have weightier concerns in mind.

Gosling is just as adept at wearing what Jannuzzi says is the next trend for summer: the tank top.

The heartbroken masses got two last films from Gosling in 2013, both exceptional: Place Beyond the Pines and Only God Forgives.

Historical Examples

Mr. Gosling mentioned a balloon that had escaped from Paris in July.

Nor a gosling,” murmured Pepé; “and a gosling only betrays himself by trying to sing.

He knocked at the door and the gosling said: "Who is knocking at the door?"

The wolf, well satisfied, saluted the gosling and went away.

And indeed he did blow down the house and ate up the gosling.

gosling

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for gosling

n.

Origin of gosling