Wiktionary

gudgeon

EnglishEdit

WOTD – 21 November 2020

PronunciationEdit

 
A common gudgeon (Gobio gobio; etymology 1, sense 1).
 
A drawing of a spinycheek sleeper (Eleotris pisonis), often called a gudgeon (etymology 1, sense 2).

Etymology 1Edit

The noun is derived from Late Middle English gojoun [and other forms],[1] from Old French gojon, goujon (“gudgeon”), from Late Latin gōbiōnem, the accusative of gōbiō, the ablative or dative singular of Latin gōbius (“gudgeon”),[2] from Ancient Greek κωβῐός (kōbiós, “fish of the gudgeon kind”), probably of Semitic origin. The English word is a doublet of goby and goujon.

The verb is derived from the noun.[3]

NounEdit

gudgeon (plural gudgeons)

  1. A small freshwater fish, Gobio gobio, that is native to Eurasia.
    Synonyms: goby, (Britain, dialectal) wapper
  2. (Australia) Any of various similar small fish of the family Eleotridae, often used as bait.
    Synonym: sleeper goby
    • 2012 October 5, Nicola Gage, “Murray Showing Signs of Recovery”, in ABC News‎[1], Sydney, N.S.W., archived from the original on 1 November 2019:
      The southern purple-spotted gudgeon [Mogurnda adspersa] can be hard to find. Although colourful, they are thin and only grow up to 12 centimetres.
  3. (figuratively, archaic) A person apt to take the bait; one easily cheated or duped; also, an idiot.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:dupe, Thesaurus:idiot
    • 1713, Jonathan Swift, “Horace, Epistle VII. Book I. Imitated and Addressed to the Earl of Oxford, in the Year 1713”, in Miscellanies. The Last Volume, London: […] Benjamin Motte, […], published 1733, OCLC 22094470, lines 73–80, page 149:
      The Doctor now obeys the Summons, / Likes both his Company, and Commons; / Diſplays his Talent, ſits till Ten; / Next Day invited, comes again; / Soon grows Domeſtick, ſeldom fails, / Either at Morning, or at Meals; / Came early, and departed late: / In ſhort, the Gudgeon took the Bait.
    • 1926, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Land of Mist‎[2]:
      "Is it not also known that you two innocents were doing the Churches week by week? Was it not patent that sooner or later you would come to a Spiritualist gathering? Here was a chance for a convert! They set a bait and poor old gudgeon Malone came along and swallowed it."
    • 2004, Robert Jordan, “Making Use of Invisibility”, in New Spring, New York, N.Y.: Tor Books, Tom Doherty Associates, →ISBN, page 298:
      "Don't be a gudgeon," she grumbled, tugging at the dress much more fiercely than was necessary. "If this works as you say it will, nobody will notice me."
  4. (figuratively, archaic) Something used to lure or tempt; bait, a lure.
HyponymsEdit
Derived termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
person apt to take the bait; one easily cheated or duped — see dupe
idiot — see idiot
something used to lure or tempt — see bait,‎ lure

VerbEdit

gudgeon (third-person singular simple present gudgeons, present participle gudgeoning, simple past and past participle gudgeoned)

  1. (transitive, archaic) To deprive (someone) fraudulently; to cheat, to dupe.
  2. (intransitive, archaic) To take the bait; to be defrauded or duped.
TranslationsEdit
to deprive fraudulently — see cheat,‎ dupe

Etymology 2Edit

 
An illustration of a pintle and a gudgeon (etymology 2, sense 1) which fits into it to form a pivoting joint.
 
A rudder system of a boat making use of pintles (blue, number 2) and gudgeons (etymology 2, sense 1.1; green, number 3).

From Middle English gojoun (“metal fitting with a ring at one end”) [and other forms],[4] from Old French goujon (“dowel; pin”) [and other forms], from gouge (“gouge (tool)”)[5] + -on (suffix forming diminutives). Gouge is derived from Late Latin gulbia, gubia (“chisel”), ultimately from Proto-Celtic *gulbā, *gulbīnos (“beak, bill”).

NounEdit

gudgeon (plural gudgeons)

  1. (also attributively) A circular or cylindrical fitting, often made of metal, into which a pin or pintle fits to create a hinge or pivoting joint.
  2. (nautical, specifically) In a vessel with a stern-mounted rudder: the fitting into which the pintle of the rudder fits, allowing the rudder to swing freely.
    Synonym: brace
    • 1792, William Bligh, chapter VII, in A Voyage to the South Sea, […] in His Majesty’s Ship The Bounty, […], London: […] George Nicol, […], OCLC 3363691, page 83:
      This afternoon the gudgeon of the rudder belonging to the large cutter, was drawn out and ſtolen, without being perceived by the man that was ſtationed to take care of her.
Alternative formsEdit
Derived termsEdit
TranslationsEdit

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ “gojǒun, n.(1)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. ^ “gudgeon, n.1”, in OED Online  ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1900; “gudgeon1, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.
  3. ^ “gudgeon, v.”, in OED Online  ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1900.
  4. ^ “gojǒun, n.(2)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  5. ^ “gudgeon2, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present; compare “gudgeon, n.2”, in OED Online  ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1900.

Further readingEdit

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