Gossamer

Gossamer describes something delicate, light, and flimsy, often ethereal or insubstantial in appearance. It evokes a sense of fragility and beauty, like a fine, sheer fabric or a shimmering thread. The word can also be used metaphorically to describe abstract concepts that are similarly delicate or tenuous, like a fleeting emotion, a fragile idea, or a subtle connection. Its origin is from the late Middle English 'gos sommer', meaning 'goose summer,' and referring to the fine, silvery threads of spiderwebs seen floating in the air, especially in autumn.

Gossamer meaning with examples

• The early morning sun illuminated the dew-kissed meadow, revealing a gossamer veil of spiderwebs shimmering between the blades of grass. The delicate threads caught the light, creating an ethereal and magical scene, a testament to nature's understated artistry, vanishing with the dawn.
• Her dreams were often filled with gossamer landscapes and floating castles, worlds that felt both real and ephemeral. The delicate imagery of her sleep was not designed to be understood or to last, only felt; she would struggle to remember the specific detail upon waking.
• A light breeze stirred the gossamer curtains, causing them to billow gently in the sunlight, casting dancing shadows on the polished wooden floor. The sheer fabric lent the room an airy, almost dreamlike quality, inviting one to escape the chaos of the day.
• As the artist worked, she applied thin layers of paint, aiming to capture the gossamer quality of a butterfly's wings, its lightness and transparency. The challenge was to convey the illusion of weightlessness on canvas, which needed many delicate and precise applications.