: the common gray wild goose (Anser anser) of Europe from which most domestic breeds of geese are descended
Examples of greylag in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The greylag goose, Anser anser, is a widespread species that was domesticated as early as 1360BC, and is the ancestor of domestic geese.
—
Grrlscientist, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2021
Some of his visitors travel more than 15 hours by plane for a 35-minute ride with Moullec and his avian companions, often spotting cranes and geese like the brent, barnacle, red-breasted, and greylag species.
—National Geographic, 4 Jan. 2018
Grrlscientist, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2021
Some of his visitors travel more than 15 hours by plane for a 35-minute ride with Moullec and his avian companions, often spotting cranes and geese like the brent, barnacle, red-breasted, and greylag species.
—National Geographic, 4 Jan. 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'greylag.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
perhaps from gray + lag entry 1
First Known Use
circa 1713, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near greylag
Cite this Entry
“Greylag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/greylag. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.
Copy Citation
More from Merriam-Webster on greylag
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about greylag
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share