Gander means: A male goose.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up. For most families this word will pass by without incident; it is more a vocabulary curiosity than a parenting concern.
Seen in the wild
9 citations · last seen May 2026
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
My moxfield has my paper lists, retired lists, and lists for content on if you want a cheeky gander moxfield.com/users/Naruka...
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BlueskyMay 2026
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Biden went too soft for not having Trump behind bars after the insurrection. Law is law & it doesn’t lie.
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BlueskyMay 2026
"All night I flee from someone. I lead the chase, I lead the fugue. I sing a song of mourning." #TodaysPoem #poetry by Alejandra Pizarnik (@alejandrapizarnik.bsky.social) trans Forrest Gander & Patricio Ferrari The G…
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BlueskyMay 2026
I don't know if agree with everything here, and that's great. So give it a gander.
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BlueskyMay 2026
there’s nothing scary about it but I’d like to go to the Gander, NL airport some day just to see the airport it’s got cool midmod art and design that hasn’t been significantly altered since it opened
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Definitions
#1·Apr 27, 2026
A male 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 be…
Origin: From , from , gander, from , from , from . The meaning "a look" is derived from the image of craning one's neck like a goose. Cognate with , , gander, dialectal , , , . Compare also . Related to goose, gannet. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents
Gander means: A male goose.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up. For most families this word will pass by without incident; it is more a vocabulary curiosity than a parenting concern.
For ESL learners
gander means: A male goose.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself. A formal-English equivalent (a synonym or descriptive phrase) is usually safer in writing. When in doubt, paraphrase rather than reuse the slang form.
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#2·Apr 27, 2026
A fool, simpleton.
Old Mother Goose / When she wanted to wander / Would ride through the air / On a very fine gander.
Cluster: fool
Heard in the wild
“there’s nothing scary about it but I’d like to go to the Gander, NL airport some day just to see the airport it’s got cool midmod art and design that hasn’t been significantly altered since it opened”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I don’t know why I wrote this like I think you don’t know about the Gander airport I am 100% confident you know and love the Gander airport”
— Bluesky· May 2026“What is good for the goose is good for the gander. I don’t trust the Muslims For Trump and the leftists. They brought all this mayhem, unemployment and ICE to their own communities and I won’t waste my vote or $$ on them.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“@alsvid.bsky.social @petohtalrayn.bsky.social @blueafterdark.bsky.social @berix.bsky.social take a gander yall”
— Bluesky· May 2026“good for the goose, but take a gander at how he reacts!”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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#3·Apr 27, 2026
(informal) A glance, look.
See it in action
“I don't know if agree with everything here, and that's great. So give it a gander.”
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.
Heard in the wild
“My moxfield has my paper lists, retired lists, and lists for content on if you want a cheeky gander moxfield.com/users/Naruka...”
— Bluesky· May 2026“What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Biden went too soft for not having Trump behind bars after the insurrection. Law is law & it doesn’t lie.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“"All night I flee from someone. I lead the chase, I lead the fugue. I sing a song of mourning." #TodaysPoem #poetry by Alejandra Pizarnik (@alejandrapizarnik.bsky.social) trans Forrest Gander & Patricio Ferrari The Galloping Hour: French Poems (2018)”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I don't know if agree with everything here, and that's great. So give it a gander.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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