noun, feminine/ɡus/plural: gousses
legume; clove (of garlic); lesbian
Synonyms: légume
Inherited from Middle French gousse, from Old French gose, gosse (“bean pod, hull, husk”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Old Occitan gossa (“female dog, bitch”), from gos (“dog”), however the sense evolution is obscure; for similar semantic development, compare French caïeu (“clove of garlic”), from Latin catellus (“puppy”); along with English pup (“puppy”), also "offshoot from a banana plant." Compare also Catalan gos (“dog”).