gossamer
a fine, filmy cobweb seen on grass or bushes or floating in the air in calm weather, especially in autumn.
a thread or strand of a filmy cobweb seen outdoors.
an extremely delicate variety of gauze, used especially for veils.
any thin, light fabric.
something extremely light, flimsy, or delicate: The viper appeared to be midway through sloughing off its skin, half covered as it was with a thin gossamer of its former outer self.
a thin, waterproof outer garment, especially for women, popular in the late 19th century.
Also gos·sa·mer·y [gos-uh-muh-ree], /ˈgɒs ə mə ri/, gos·sa·mered. of or like gossamer; extremely light, flimsy, or delicate: Did you notice this dragonfly's gossamer wings? Perhaps our hopes are gossamer dreams, strung together with wishful thinking.
Origin of gossamer
1Words Nearby gossamer
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use gossamer in a sentence
Named cardiac nexus glia, these cells appear early in zebrafish development and go on to spread out and form a gossamer-thin web around the heart, Smith and Kikel-Coury reported last year in PLOS Biology.
Glial cells may take on big jobs in unexpected parts of the body | Laura Sanders | June 2, 2022 | Science NewsThe Levity’s only feature is a single pocket, and we took extra care with the delicate zippers and gossamer fabric.
Wanna’s Christo-like “Within Without” encloses the stairway entrance to the second-floor gallery in gossamer fabric, outlined by floor-level light strips.
In the galleries: A towering exhibit offers a new definition of domestic life | Mark Jenkins | January 1, 2021 | Washington PostSea butterflies flit through the ocean on gossamer wings, each species with a style of its own.
Sea butterflies’ shells determine how the snails swim | Maria Temming | September 8, 2020 | Science NewsWhen the short-skirted, gossamer clad nymphs made their appearance on the stage they became restless and fidgety.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | Various
Mackintoshes, vulcanized india-rubber, gutta-percha, and gossamer dust-coats unknown then.
The Portsmouth Road and Its Tributaries | Charles G. HarperBut look at the difference here: after dinner here one is as light as a gossamer.
Little Travels and Roadside Sketches | William Makepeace ThackerayHer dress was of finest work, its texture thin as gossamer; pure white with here and there a silken knot of blue.
The Devil-Tree of El Dorado | Frank AubreyEverywhere were threads of water, threads of snow, and little threads of dewy green, glistening like gossamer.
Villa Rubein and Other Stories | John Galsworthy
British Dictionary definitions for gossamer
/ (ˈɡɒsəmə) /
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 gossamer: gossamer wings
Origin of gossamer
1Derived forms of gossamer
- gossamery, adjective
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
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