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 help her to raise an orphaned gosling and deal with a harsh winter and a lost foot.
From Washington Post • May 3, 2016
Is what's good for the gosling and the goose, also good for the gander?
From New York Times • Jul. 15, 2012
The ground grew soggier, the grass grew taller, and soon the robot and the gosling were looking across a wide, murky pond.
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.
