gossamer

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noun gos·sa·mer \ˈgä-sə-mər also ˈgäz-mər, ˈgä-zə-\

Definition of gossamer

1 : a film of cobwebs floating in air in calm clear weather
2 : something light, delicate, or insubstantial the gossamer of youth's dreams — Andrea Parke

gossamery

play \ˈgä-sə-mə-rēalso ˈgäz-mə-, ˈgä-zə-\ adjective

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gossamer was our Word of the Day on 06/15/2015. Hear the podcast!

Examples of gossamer in a Sentence

a butterfly's wings of gossamer

Recent Examples of gossamer from the Web

Given this harsh and violent reality, a new report offers a gossamer of optimism.

— ulrich boser, The Atlantic, "The Youth-Counseling Program Helping to Curb Chicago's Violence," 13 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gossamer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of gossamer

Middle English gossomer, from gos goose + somer summer

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First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

gossamer

adjective gos·sa·mer

Definition of gossamer

: extremely light, delicate, or tenuous a gossamer white veil

Examples of gossamer in a Sentence

fairies are usually depicted as wearing gossamer or tattered clothing
the gossamer veil seemed to float about the bride as she walked down the aisle

Recent Examples of gossamer from the Web

The skeleton was visible, his left eye was gone, his brain was exposed, only protected by a gossamer-thin membrane known as the meninges.

— allie gross, Detroit Free Press, "Beaumont plastic surgeon takes cases others said couldn't be done," 15 July 2017
The gossamer clouds are even visible from space—astronauts on board the International Space Station have reported seeing them and have captured the occasional image.

— National Geographic, "Eerie Clouds Glow at Night—How to See Them," 22 June 2017
The strings excelled, especially in the gentle, gossamer passages.

— tim smith, baltimoresun.com, "Atmosphere, virtuosity in BSO program with Markus Stenz, Juho Pohjonen," 5 May 2017
With its silk walls, the living room is more of a ladies' sitting room, gossamer and ethereal.

— julie lasky, House Beautiful, "This Is Why Designers Love Florals So Much," 1 May 2017
But for all this skepticism, the book is too eager to find simple truths, and the author frequently grasps at gossamer ideas that aren’t particularly interesting or enlightening.

— the washington post, The Denver Post, "“Fallen Glory” surveys the world’s lost wonders and lesser structures," 20 Apr. 2017

Did You Know?

In the days of Middle English, a period of mild weather in late autumn or early winter was sometimes called a "gossomer," literally "goose summer." People may have chosen that name for a late-season warm spell because October and November were the months when people felt that geese were at their best for eating. "Gossomer" was also used in Middle English as a word for filmy cobwebs floating through the air in calm clear weather, apparently because somebody thought the webs looked like the down of a goose. This sense eventually inspired the adjective "gossamer," which means "light, delicate, or tenuous" - just like cobwebs or goose down.