Goss Goss noun [ See Gorse .] Gorse. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Gossamer Gos"sa·mer noun [ Middle English gossomer , gossummer , gosesomer , perhaps for goose summer , from its downy appearance, or perhaps for God's summer , confer German mariengarr gossamer, properly Mary's yarn, in allusion to the Virgin Mary. Perhaps the E. word alluded to a legend that the gossamer was the remnant of the Virgin Mary's winding sheet, which dropped from her when she was taken up to heaven. For the use of summer in the sense of film or threads, confer German Mädchensommer , Altweibersommer , fliegender Sommer , all meaning, gossamer.]

1. A fine, filmy substance, like cobwebs, floating in the air, in calm, clear weather, especially in autumn. It is seen in stubble fields and on furze or low bushes, and is formed by small spiders.

2. Any very thin gauzelike fabric; also, a thin waterproof stuff.

3. An outer garment, made of waterproof gossamer.

Gossamer spider (Zoology) , any small or young spider which spins webs by which to sail in the air. See Ballooning spider .

Gossamery Gos"sa·mer·y adjective Like gossamer; flimsy.

The greatest master of gossamery affectation.

De Quincey.

Gossan Gos"san noun (Geol.) Decomposed rock, usually reddish or ferruginous (owing to oxidized pyrites), forming the upper part of a metallic vein.

Gossaniferous Gos`san·if"er·ous adjective [ Gossan + -ferous .] Containing or producing gossan.

Gossat Gos"sat noun (Zoology) A small British marine fish ( Motella tricirrata ); -- called also whistler and three-bearded rockling . [ Prov. Eng.]

Gossib Gos"sib noun A gossip. [ Obsolete] Chaucer. Spenser.

Gossip Gos"sip noun [ Middle English gossib , godsib , a relation or sponsor in baptism, a relation by a religious obligation, Anglo-Saxon godsibb , from god + sib alliance, relation; akin to German sippe , Goth. sibja , and also to Sanskrit sabhā assembly.]

1. A sponsor; a godfather or a godmother.

Should a great lady that was invited to be a gossip , in her place send her kitchen maid, 't would be ill taken.

Selden.

2. A friend or comrade; a companion; a familiar and customary acquaintance. [ Obsolete]

My noble gossips , ye have been too prodigal.

Shak.

3. One who runs house to house, tattling and telling news; an idle tattler.

The common chat of gossips when they meet.

Dryden.

4. The tattle of a gossip; groundless rumor.

Bubbles o'er like a city with gossip , scandal, and spite.

Tennyson.

Gossip Gos"sip transitive verb To stand sponsor to. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Gossip Gos"sip intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Gossiped ; present participle & verbal noun Gossiping .] 1. To make merry. [ Obsolete] Shak.

2. To prate; to chat; to talk much. Shak.

3. To run about and tattle; to tell idle tales.

Gossiper Gos"sip·er noun One given to gossip. Beaconsfield.

Gossiprede Gos"sip·rede noun [ Confer Kindred .] The relationship between a person and his sponsors. [ Obsolete]

Gossipry Gos"sip·ry noun 1. Spiritual relationship or affinity; gossiprede; special intimacy. Bale.

2. Idle talk; gossip. Mrs. Browning.

Gossipy Gos"sip·y adjective Full of, or given to, gossip.

Gossoon Gos·soon" noun [ Scot. garson an attendant, from French garçon , Old French gars .] A boy; a servant. [ Ireland]

Gossypium Gos·syp"i·um noun [ New Latin , from Latin gossypion , gossipion .] (Botany) A genus of plants which yield the cotton of the arts. The species are much confused. G. herbaceum is the name given to the common cotton plant, while the long-stapled sea-island cotton is produced by G. Barbadense , a shrubby variety. There are several other kinds besides these.

Got Got imperfect & past participle of Get . See Get .

Gote Gote noun [ Confer LG. gote , gaute , canal, German gosse ; akin to giessen to pour, shed, Anglo-Saxon geótan , and English fuse to melt.] A channel for water. [ Prov. Eng.] Crose.

Goter Go"ter noun a gutter. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Goth Goth noun [ Latin Gothi , plural; confer Greek ...]

1. (Ethnol.) One of an ancient Teutonic race, who dwelt between the Elbe and the Vistula in the early part of the Christian era, and who overran and took an important part in subverting the Roman empire.

» Under the reign of Valens, they took possession of Dacia (the modern Transylvania and the adjoining regions), and came to be known as Ostrogoths and Visigoths , or East and West Goths; the former inhabiting countries on the Black Sea up to the Danube, and the latter on this river generally. Some of them took possession of the province of Moesia, and hence were called Moesogoths . Others, who made their way to Scandinavia, at a time unknown to history, are sometimes styled Suiogoths .

2. One who is rude or uncivilized; a barbarian; a rude, ignorant person. Chesterfield.

Gothamist Go"tham·ist noun A wiseacre; a person deficient in wisdom; -- so called from Gotham, in Nottinghamshire, England, noted for some pleasant blunders. Bp. Morton.

Gothamite Go"tham·ite noun 1. A gothamist.

2. An inhabitant of New York city. [ Jocular] Irving.

Gothic Goth"ic adjective [ Latin Gothicus : confer French gothique .]

1. Pertaining to the Goths; as, Gothic customs; also, rude; barbarous.

2. (Architecture) Of or pertaining to a style of architecture with pointed arches, steep roofs, windows large in proportion to the wall spaces, and, generally, great height in proportion to the other dimensions -- prevalent in Western Europe from about 1200 to 1475 a.d. See Illust. of Abacus , and Capital .

Gothic Goth"ic noun 1. The language of the Goths; especially, the language of that part of the Visigoths who settled in Moesia in the 4th century. See Goth .

» Bishop Ulfilas or Walfila translated most of the Bible into Gothic about the Middle of the 4th century. The portion of this translaton which is preserved is the oldest known literary document in any Teutonic language.

2. A kind of square-cut type, with no hair lines.

» This is Nonpareil GOTHIC.

3. (Architecture) The style described in Gothic , adjective , 2.

Gothicism Goth"i·cism noun 1. A Gothic idiom.

2. Conformity to the Gothic style of architecture.

3. Rudeness of manners; barbarousness.

Gothicize Goth"i·cize transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Gothicized ; present participle & verbal noun Gothicizing .] To make Gothic; to bring back to barbarism.

Gotten Got"ten past participle of Get .

Gouache Gouache (gwȧsh) noun [ French, Italian guazzo .] A method of painting with opaque colors, which have been ground in water and mingled with a preparation of gum; also, a picture thus painted.

Goud Goud noun [ Confer Old French gaide , French guède , from Old High German weit ; or confer French gaude weld. Confer Woad .] Woad. [ Obsolete]

Goudron Gou`dron" noun [ French, tar.] (Mil.) a small fascine or fagot, steeped in wax, pitch, and glue, used in various ways, as for igniting buildings or works, or to light ditches and ramparts. Farrow.

Gouge Gouge noun [ French gouge . Late Latin gubia , guvia , gulbia , gulvia , gulvium ; confer Bisc. gubia bow, gubioa throat.]

1. A chisel, with a hollow or semicylindrical blade, for scooping or cutting holes, channels, or grooves, in wood, stone, etc.; a similar instrument, with curved edge, for turning wood.

2. A bookbinder's tool for blind tooling or gilding, having a face which forms a curve.

3. An incising tool which cuts forms or blanks for gloves, envelopes, etc. from leather, paper, etc. Knight.

4. (Mining) Soft material lying between the wall of a vein and the solid vein. Raymond.

5. The act of scooping out with a gouge, or as with a gouge; a groove or cavity scooped out, as with a gouge.

6. Imposition; cheat; fraud; also, an impostor; a cheat; a trickish person. [ Slang, U. S.]

Gouge bit , a boring bit, shaped like a gouge.

Gouge Gouge transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Gouged ; present participle & verbal noun Gouging .] 1. To scoop out with a gouge.

2. To scoop out, as an eye, with the thumb nail; to force out the eye of (a person) with the thumb. [ K S.]

» A barbarity mentioned by some travelers as formerly practiced in the brutal frays of desperadoes in some parts of the United States.

3. To cheat in a bargain; to chouse. [ Slang, U. S.]

Gouger Gou"ger noun (Zoology) See Plum Gouger .

Gougeshell Gouge"shell` noun (Zoology) A sharp-edged, tubular, marine shell, of the genus Vermetus ; also, the pinna. See Vermetus .

Goujere Gou"jere noun [ French gouge prostitute, a camp trull. Confer Good-year .] The venereal disease. [ Obsolete]

Gouland Gou"land noun See Golding .

Goulards extract Gou·lard"s" ex"tract" [ Named after the introducer, Thomas Goulard , a French surgeon.] (Medicine) An aqueous solution of the subacetate of lead, used as a lotion in cases of inflammation. Goulard's cerate is a cerate containing this extract.

Gour Gour noun [ See Giaour .] 1. A fire worshiper; a Gheber or Gueber. Tylor.

2. (Zoology) See Koulan .

Goura Gou"ra noun (Zoology) One of several species of large, crested ground pigeons of the genus Goura , inhabiting New Guinea and adjacent islands. The Queen Victoria pigeon ( Goura Victoria ) and the crowned pigeon ( G. coronata ) are among the best known species.

Gourami Gou"ra·mi noun (Zoology) A very largo East Indian freshwater fish ( Osphromenus gorami ), extensively reared in artificial ponds in tropical countries, and highly valued as a food fish. Many unsuccessful efforts have been made to introduce it into Southern Europe. [ Written also goramy .]

Gourd Gourd noun [ French gourde , Old French cougourde , gouhourde , from Latin cucurbita gourd (cf. NPr. cougourdo ); perhaps akin to corbin basket, English corb . Confer Cucurbite .] 1. (Botany) A fleshy, three-celled, many-seeded fruit, as the melon, pumpkin, cucumber, etc., of the order Cucurbitaceæ ; and especially the bottle gourd ( Lagenaria vulgaris ) which occurs in a great variety of forms, and, when the interior part is removed, serves for bottles, dippers, cups, and other dishes.

2. A dipper or other vessel made from the shell of a gourd; hence, a drinking vessel; a bottle. Chaucer.

Bitter gourd , colocynth.

Gourd Gourd noun A false die. See Gord .

Gourd tree Gourd" tree" (Botany) A tree (the Crescentia Cujete , or calabash tree) of the West Indies and Central America.

Gourd, Gourde Gourd, Gourde noun [ Spanish gordo large.] A silver dollar; -- so called in Cuba, Hayti, etc. Simmonds.

Gourdiness Gourd"i·ness noun [ From Gourdy .] (Far.) The state of being gourdy.

Gourdworm Gourd"worm" noun (Zoology) The fluke of sheep. See Fluke .

Gourdy Gourd"y adjective [ Either from gourd , or from French gourd benumbed.] (Far.) Swelled in the legs.

Gourmand Gour"mand noun [ French] A greedy or ravenous eater; a glutton. See Gormand .

That great gourmand , fat Apicius

B. Jonson.

Gourmet Gour`met" (gōr`ma") noun [ French] A connoisseur in eating and drinking; an epicure.

Gournet Gour"net (gûr"nĕt) noun (Zoology) A fish. See Gurnet .

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