gudgeon

noun

1. A common gudgeon, a small freshwater fish of species Gobio gobio, that is native to Eurasia.

   “[...] Ile tell thee more of this another time. / But fiſh not with this melancholy baite, / For this foole gudgin, this opinion: [...]”

   “[...] Make Fools believe in their fore-seeing / Of things before they are in Being; / To swallow Gudgeons ere th' are catch'd, / And count their Chickens ere th' are hatch'd, [...]”

   “The Gudgeon is reputed a fish of excellent taste, and to be very wholesome: he is of a fine shape, of a silver colour, and beautified with black spots both on his body and tail.”

   “You save your souls here, eating cabbage, and think you are the righteous. You eat a gudgeon a day, and you think you bribe God with gudgeon.”

2. (Canada)Cottus bairdii, more widely known as mottled sculpin.
3. (Australia)Any of various similar small fish of the family Eleotridae, often used as bait.

   “The southern purple-spotted gudgeon [Mogurnda adspersa] can be hard to find. Although colourful, they are thin and only grow up to 12 centimetres.”

4. Other fish, similar in appearance, principally in families Butidae and Eleotridae, but also in others.
5. (archaic, figuratively)A person apt to take the bait; one easily cheated or duped; also, an idiot.

   “The Doctor now obeys the Summons, / Likes both his Company, and Commons; / Diſplays his Talent, ſits till Ten; / Next Day invited, comes again; / Soon grows Domeſtick, ſeldom fails, / Either at Morning, or at Meals; / Came early, and departed late: / In ſhort, the Gudgeon took the Bait.”

   “"Is it not also known that you two innocents were doing the Churches week by week? Was it not patent that sooner or later you would come to a Spiritualist gathering? Here was a chance for a convert! They set a bait and poor old gudgeon Malone came along and swallowed it."”

   “"Don't be a gudgeon," she grumbled, tugging at the dress much more fiercely than was necessary. "If this works as you say it will, nobody will notice me."”

6. (archaic, figuratively)Something used to lure or tempt; bait, a lure.
7. (also, attributive)A circular or cylindrical fitting, often made of metal, into which a pin or pintle fits to create a hinge or pivoting joint.

   “[A]s to a Wheel-barrow, I fancy'd I could make all but the Wheel; but that I had no Notion of, neither did I know how to go about it; beſides, I had no possible way to make the Iron Gudgeons for the Spindle or Axis of the Wheel to run in, ſo I gave it over; [...]”

8. (specifically)In a vessel with a stern-mounted rudder: the fitting into which the pintle of the rudder fits, allowing the rudder to swing freely.

   “This afternoon the gudgeon of the rudder belonging to the large cutter, was drawn out and ſtolen, without being perceived by the man that was ſtationed to take care of her.”

verb

1. (archaic, transitive)To deprive (someone) fraudulently; to cheat, to dupe.

   “I have seen when you were willing to tie his points or brush his cloak, or the like—and to be treated thus ungratefully—and gudgeoned of the opportunities which had been given you—”

2. (archaic, intransitive)To take the bait; to be defrauded or duped.