gossamer

1 of 2

noun

gos·​sa·​mer ˈgä-sə-mər How to pronounce gossamer (audio)
 also  ˈgäz-mər,
ˈgä-zə-
1
: a film of cobwebs floating in air in calm clear weather
2
: something light, delicate, or insubstantial
the gossamer of youth's dreamsAndrea Parke
gossamery
ˈgä-sə-mə-rē How to pronounce gossamer (audio)
 also  ˈgäz-mə-
ˈgä-zə-
adjective

gossamer

2 of 2

adjective

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

Did you know?

Centuries before its breezy emergence as an adjective meaning "extremely light or delicate," gossamer was used as a noun. It came to our language by way of Middle English, where gossomer (literally "goose summer") referred to a period of mild weather in late autumn or early winter. Gossomer was also used in Middle English as a word for filmy cobwebs floating through the air in calm, clear weather, possibly because somebody thought the webs looked like the down of a goose or because that mild period was when they tended to notice the spider silk wafting. This sense eventually inspired the adjective gossamer, which describes things that are as light or delicate as cobwebs. The noun form of gossamer is still floating around: it has held onto its Middle English predecessor’s meaning of "a film of cobwebs" and can also refer to something that is light, delicate, or insubstantial, as in "a thread of gossamer."

Examples of gossamer in a Sentence

Noun a butterfly's wings of gossamer Adjective 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 on the Web
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Noun
The doll, which is called the Witch Weaver, wears flared bell-bottoms, a gossamer harlequin blouse, gold waistcoat and crystal headpiece — taking inspiration from Reed’s signature design codes, personal style and even Lady Gaga. Violet Goldstone, WWD, 21 Nov. 2024 These gossamer sheets are automatically collected on strips of tape and arranged on silicon wafers. IEEE Spectrum, 30 May 2017
Adjective
No matter how far-fetched the premise or gossamer-thin the story, the musical invites (compels) us to go along with its essential surrealism, to travel to that dream space where everyday life suddenly moves and sounds deliriously out of this world. Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 7 May 2020 For her label Anissa Aida, designer Anissa Meddeb, who lives in the capital, makes gossamer silk blouses evoking the striped motif of handwoven fouta towels and voluminous coats inspired by the burnoose cloaks worn by Berbers. Sarah Khan, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Feb. 2020 See all Example Sentences for gossamer 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English gossomer, from gos goose + somer summer

Adjective

from attributive use of gossamer entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

circa 1807, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gossamer was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near gossamer

Cite this Entry

“Gossamer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gossamer. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

gossamer

noun
gos·​sa·​mer
ˈgäs-ə-mər,
 also  ˈgäz(-ə)-mər
1
: a film of cobwebs floating in air
2
: something light or very delicate
gossamer adjective
gossamery
-mə-rē
adjective

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