gossamer

[ gos-uh-mer ]

noun

1. a fine, filmy cobweb seen on grass or bushes or floating in the air in calm weather, especially in autumn.
2. a thread or strand of a filmy cobweb seen outdoors.
3. an extremely delicate variety of gauze, used especially for veils.
4. any thin, light fabric.
5. something extremely light, flimsy, or delicate:

   The viper appeared to be midway through sloughing off its skin, half covered as it was with a thin gossamer of its former outer self.

6. a thin, waterproof outer garment, especially for women, popular in the late 19th century.

adjective

1. Also gos·sa·mer·y [] gos·sa·mered. of or like gossamer; extremely light, flimsy, or delicate: Perhaps our hopes are gossamer dreams, strung together with wishful thinking.

   Did you notice this dragonfly's gossamer wings?

   Perhaps our hopes are gossamer dreams, strung together with wishful thinking.

gossamer

/ ˈɡɒsəmə /

noun

1. a gauze or silk fabric of the very finest texture
2. a filmy cobweb often seen on foliage or floating in the air
3. anything resembling gossamer in fineness or filminess
4. modifier made of or resembling gossamer

   gossamer wings

Derived Forms

• ˈgossamery, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gossamer¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English gos(s)esomer, gossummer “filmy substance made of cobwebs; fine filament; something trivial”; possibly first used as a name for late, mild autumn, a time when goose was a favorite dish (compare German Gänsemonat “November”), then transferred to the cobwebs frequent at that time of year

Word History and Origins

Origin of gossamer¹

C14 (in the sense: a filmy cobweb): probably from gos goose ¹+ somer summer ¹; the phrase refers to St Martin's summer, a period in November when goose was traditionally eaten; from the prevalence of the cobweb in the autumn; compare German Gänsemonat, literally: goosemonth, used for November

Example Sentences

She said its "viscerally, uncomfortably familiar take on entitled masculinity" is "delivered with a self-satisfied smile, as a gossamer cover to the violent rage below".

From BBC

To see the familiar faces, to hear the old story, to think about the old song — such remembrances tether us, however frayed and fragile the gossamer of grief, to a world transformed.

From Los Angeles Times

Princeton researchers have learned to harness the gossamer scaffolding that maintains the structure of living cells and used it to develop a nanotechnology platform.

From Science Daily

Most K-pop acts rely on hip-hop and EDM for stylistic inspiration, so when teen group NewJeans decorated their gossamer melodies with a patter of drum and bass, it felt like a breath of fresh air.

From BBC

For the final ceremony of the multiday celebrations, Arti wore a full velvet skirt covered in golden embroidery, matched to the gossamer red veil over her head.

From New York Times

Related Words

• fibrous
• silky
• translucent