Gossamer

Gossamer is an adjective that means light and delicate.  Our word of the day dates back to Middle English and combines the words ‘goose’ and ‘summer,’ as a reference to the time of year when geese were eaten. The word soon came to refer to anything silky or filmy — just like the down of geese.  The gossamer substance of my sleeping bag makes sleeping in the woods a lot more comfortable than it would be otherwise. Now all I need is to do something about all those mosquitoes.