anserine C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities US /ˈænsəˌraɪn/ UK /ˈansəraɪn/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 adj of or resembling a goose; silly or stupid He gave an anserine grin and waddled off without answering. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adj · of or resembling a goose;... foolishsillystupidgooselikefatuous ↔ Opposites wisesensible Word family Related forms anserous Etymology AI details From Latin anserīnus ('of a goose'), from anser ('goose'), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰans- ('goose'). anserīnus Latin anser Latin *ǵʰans- Proto-Indo-European View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # anserine **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** adj **IPA (US):** /ˈænsəˌraɪn/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈansəraɪn/ ## Meanings 1. of or resembling a goose; silly or stupid ## Examples - He gave an anserine grin and waddled off without answering. ## Synonyms - foolish - silly - stupid - gooselike - fatuous ## Antonyms - wise - sensible ## Related Forms - anserous ## Roots and Affixes - Root: anserīnus - Root: anser - Root: *ǵʰans- ## Etymology From Latin anserīnus ('of a goose'), from anser ('goose'), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰans- ('goose'). ## AI Etymology anserine comes from Latin anserīnus ('of a goose'), from anser ('goose'), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰans- ('goose'). The path is chiefly one of transmission: an older form is taken into English, with the word's shape and meaning carried through the language names and forms preserved in the history. In modern use, the adjective sense is "of or resembling a goose; silly or stupid", which keeps the etymology connected to the word's present dictionary value rather than treating it as a merely historical label. The wider word family includes related English forms such as anserous, showing how the same base continues to support neighboring English vocabulary. The principal historical forms in the chain include Latin anserīnus, Latin anser, Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰans-, which anchor the explanation in named linguistic material. ## Topics - Describing Qualities markdown