goslings

Noun

gosling (plural goslings)

1. A young goose.
   • Marta's gander was a magnificent snow-white bird: the object of terror to foxes, children and dogs. She had reared him as a gosling; and whenever he approached, he would let fly a low contented burble and sidle his neck around her thighs.1988, Bruce Chatwin, Utz, London: Jonathan Cape, →ISBN; republished London: Vintage Books, 2005, →ISBN, page 50

   Synonyms:

   gooseling

2. An inexperienced and immature, or foolish and naive, young person.
   • Two stout woodmen with difficulty cut down this tree, the chips of which flew far and wide about the hall; but at my command my two green goslings carried away the fragments without any difficulty.1862 April 19, “Mediums Under Other Names”, in All the Year Round, volume 7, page 132
3. (dated) A catkin on willows, nut trees, and pines.
   • These Aments (we must no longer call them catkins) are composed both of male and female flowers; what Henry calls goslings in spring are the Aments of the willow tree ; his green goslings are female Aments , and , when mature , have the appearance of little tufts of wool, which appearance is caused...1797, Botanical Dialogues, Between Hortensia and Her Four Children, page 8

See all 4 meanings of gosling