Gosses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A plural form referring to children or young people in an informal or regional usage ; small boys or kids considered collectively ; youthful individuals often characterized by playfulness or immaturity
2. Informal term for groups of boys or youngsters ; young males regarded as a collective group ; juvenile persons typically associated with childhood activities
3. A collective noun denoting young boys ; informal reference to children, especially boys ; youth regarded in a casual or endearing manner

Etymology: "Gosses" is the plural of "goss," a clipped form of "gossip," so the story runs back through the word for a close friend before it reached children. Originally, a gossip was a godparent or sponsor at a baptism, from Old English "godsibb," meaning someone bound to a child's family in spiritual kinship. Over time the word came to mean a close female friend, then a chatty woman, and finally idle talk itself. "Goss" appeared as a shortened form of that word, and "gosses" is its plural, used informally for young boys, and it is often pictured as a tag of affection rather than a formal term. The word's other possible source, "gossamer," is a separate line of development, so it does not explain this plural.

Synonyms: kids, children, youngsters, tykes, brats

Antonyms: adults, grown-ups