gander en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈɡæn.dɚ/ (General-American)
- /ˈɡæn.də(ɹ)/ (UK)
- (US) audio
Etymology
From Middle English gandre, from Old English gandra, ganra (“gander”), from Proto-West Germanic *ganʀō, from Proto-Germanic *ganzô (“gander”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰh₂éns (“goose”). The meaning "a look" is derived from the image of craning one's neck like a goose. The meaning 'a man apart from his wife' is derived from a concept of a grass widower, and of calling a husband a goose. Cognates Cognate with Dutch gander (“gander”), Low German Gander, Ganner (“gander”), dialectal German Gandert (“gander”), German Ganter (“gander”), Norwegian gasse (“gander”), Icelandic gassi (“gander”). Compare also Lithuanian gañdras (“stork”). Related to goose, gannet.
Meanings
-
A male goose.
Marta's gander was a magnificent snow-white bird: the object of terror to foxes, children and dogs. She had reared him as a gosling; and whenever he approached, he would let fly a low contented burble and sidle his neck around her thighs.
1988, Bruce Chatwin, Utz, London: Jonathan Cape, →ISBN; republished London: Vintage Books, 2005, →ISBN, page 50:Old Mother Goose / When she wanted to wander / Would ride through the air / On a very fine gander.
1916, Blanche Fisher Wright, The Original Mother Goose:Ganders and geese are at their best for stock from two to ten years old. They live to a great age—it is stated to thirty or more years—but after ten years they cannot be reckoned upon as reliable assets on a farm. Two years old is the best age to mate them, making up pens of a gander and two or three geese at the New Year. It is difficult sometimes to distinguish ganders from geese. A practical man is, however, rarely mistaken.
1902, Lewis Wright, “Geese and Swans”, in The New Book of Poultry […], London; […]: Cassell and Company, Limited, page 560, column 1:
- A fool, simpleton.
-
(informal) A glance, look.
I took a gander and she seemed so familiar.
As well as the church and its sexton, the market house is worth a gander, while the hop fields and orchards are "reminding one of Kent", for we are in another "Garden of England".
2022 August 24, Stephen Roberts, “Bradshaw's Britain: the Cotswold Line: Ledbury”, in RAIL, number 964, page 61:Have a gander at what he’s written.
- (US) A man living apart from his wife.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ganders | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Michigander · what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander · gander month · gander party · ganderism · bargander · goosander · what's good for the goose is good for the gander · take a gander
Synonyms
butcher's hook (look) · butcher's (look)
Translations (100)
lo ຫ່ານຜູ້ (a male goose) · lt žą̃sinas (a male goose) · io gansulo (a male goose) · gl ganso (a male goose) · cs jeliman (a fool, simpleton) · sh гусан (a male goose) · de Ganter (a male goose) · nb gasse (a male goose) · ru взгляд ((slang) a look) · ro ochire ((slang) a look) · da gase (a male goose) · gl sangano (a male goose) · hu pislantás ((slang) a look) · el βλάκας (a fool, simpleton) · bg глупак (a fool, simpleton) · bg поглед ((slang) a look) · ga gandal (a male goose) · el αρσενική χήνα (a male goose) · gv kellagh guiy (a male goose) · sv hangås (a male goose) · el χήνος (a male goose) · ro gânsac (a male goose) · sk gunár (a male goose) · fi ääliö (a fool, simpleton) · nds Ganner (a male goose) · ka ხედვა ((slang) a look) · sv gåskarl (a male goose) · uk гуса́к (a male goose) · cs husák (a male goose) · ka ჩერჩეტი (a fool, simpleton) · nl uil (a fool, simpleton) · pdt Gaunta (a male goose) · ro privire ((slang) a look) · sq patan (a male goose) · cs zběžný pohled ((slang) a look) · pt paspalhão (a fool, simpleton) · eo viransero (a male goose) · ro gâscan (a male goose) · rsk ґунар (a male goose) · fi vilkaisu ((slang) a look) · nn hanngås (a male goose) · ru гусь (a male goose) · hu gúnár (a male goose) · cmn 雄鵝 /雄鹅 (a male goose) · nl blik ((slang) a look) · it oca maschio (a male goose) · ru глупе́ц (a fool, simpleton) · ja 雄ガチョウ (a male goose) · nb gåsestegg (a male goose) · it oca (a fool, simpleton) · ru проста́к (a fool, simpleton) · yi גאָנער (a male goose) · da hangås (a male goose) · it occhiata ((slang) a look) · cs trouba (a fool, simpleton) · fr jars (a male goose) · nn gasse (a male goose) · fi pöljä (a fool, simpleton) · de Gänserich (a male goose) · fi uroshanhi (a male goose) · fi tollo (a fool, simpleton) · fo gásasteggi (a male goose) · cs houser (a male goose) · ro ocheadă ((slang) a look) · de Ganser (a male goose) · sh gusan (a male goose) · pt olhada ((slang) a look) · nrf gars (a male goose) · nl gent (a male goose) · ka სულელი (a fool, simpleton) · sh gusak (a male goose) · nl gander (a male goose) · pl gąsior (a male goose) · es ganso (a male goose) · ru болва́н (a fool, simpleton) · nds Ganter (a male goose) · nl kijkje ((slang) a look) · sl gosak (a male goose) · nn gåsestegg (a male goose) · ang ganra (a male goose) · nl mannetjesgans (a male goose) · be гуса́к (a male goose) · hu pillantás ((slang) a look) · bg гъсо́к (a male goose) · nrf pithot (a male goose) · nb hanngås (a male goose) · de Blick ((slang) a look) · ru гуса́к (a male goose) · ka გამოხედვა ((slang) a look) · nl uilskuiken (a fool, simpleton) · es vistazo ((slang) a look) · ka შტერი (a fool, simpleton) · fi hölmö (a fool, simpleton) · mk гусак (a male goose) · nl ganzerik (a male goose) · vo higan (a male goose) · fi tolvana (a fool, simpleton) · pt ganso (a male goose) · sq patok (a male goose) · ka მამალი ბატი (a male goose)