gossamer

[ gos-uh-mer ]
/ ˈgɒs ə mər /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR gossamer ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

adjective

Also gos·sa·mer·y [gos-uh-muh-ree], /ˈgɒs ə mə ri/, gos·sa·mered. of or like gossamer; thin and light.

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Origin of gossamer

1275–1325; Middle English gosesomer (see goose, summer1); possibly first used as name for late, mild autumn, a time when goose was a favorite dish (compare German Gänsemonat November), then transferred to the cobwebs frequent at that time of year

Words nearby gossamer

Gosplan, gospodin, gosport, goss, Gossaert, gossamer, gossan, Gosse, gossip, gossipmonger, gossipy
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to gossamer

silky, translucent, fibrous, fine, flimsy, cobweb, light, tiffany, airy, delicate, diaphanous, sheer, transparent

Example sentences from the Web for gossamer

British Dictionary definitions for gossamer

gossamer
/ (ˈɡɒsəmə) /

noun

a gauze or silk fabric of the very finest texture
a filmy cobweb often seen on foliage or floating in the air
anything resembling gossamer in fineness or filminess
(modifier) made of or resembling gossamergossamer wings

Derived forms of gossamer

gossamery, adjective

Word Origin for gossamer

C14 (in the sense: a filmy cobweb): probably from gos goose 1 + somer summer 1; the phrase refers to St Martin's summer, a period in November when goose was traditionally eaten; from the prevalence of the cobweb in the autumn; compare German Gänsemonat, literally: goosemonth, used for November
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