Brent
/brɛnt/noun
A small dark-bellied goose that breeds in Arctic regions and winters along temperate coasts.
Did you know?“Brent goose” is related to older Germanic expressions meaning “burnt goose,” likely referring to the bird’s dark coloration rather than any ritual burning.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Germanic
*brandaz
“burning, burnt; associated with fire or a burnt mark”
Old English
Old English
brant
“a dark or burnt-colored goose; the form underlying later brent”
Middle English
Middle English
brant
“a brant or dark-colored goose”
16th Century
English
brent goose
“the brant goose, named with a form connected to its dark, burnt coloration”
Modern English
English
brent
“a brent goose, especially in the compound “brent goose””