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Dec 23, 2008
This week's theme
Words related to the names of fish

This week's words
minnow
gudgeon
remora
inconnu
tope

Gudgeon
A gudgeon fish
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with Anu Garg

gudgeon

PRONUNCIATION:
(GUJ-uhn)

MEANING:
noun:
1. A small European fresh-water fish (Gobio gobio) or any of the related fishes, often used as bait.
2. A gullible person.
3. A bait.
4. A pivot, usually made of metal, at the end of a beam, axle, etc., on which a wheel or a similar device turns.

ETYMOLOGY:
(for 1-3) From Latin gobion, variant of gobius, via Old French and Middle English.
(for 4) From Middle English gudyon, from Old French goujon.

USAGE:
"The premise of the argument is that a majority of the American are gudgeons."
The Daily News (Galveston, Texas); Jun 9, 1910.

See more usage examples of gudgeon in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
Neither genius, fame, nor love show the greatness of the soul. Only kindness can do that. -Jean Baptiste Henri Lacordaire, preacher, journalist and activist (1802-1861)

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