goat

¹

[ goht ]

noun

1. any of numerous agile, hollow-horned ruminants of the genus Capra, of the family Bovidae, closely related to the sheep, found native in rocky and mountainous regions of the Old World, and widely distributed in domesticated varieties.
2. any of various related animals, as the Rocky Mountain goat.
3. Goat, Astronomy, Astrology. the constellation or sign Capricorn.
4. Also the goat. a scapegoat or victim:

   When the police came, he was left behind to be the goat.

5. a licentious or lecherous man; lecher.

GOAT

²

or G.O.A.T.

[ goht, jee-oh-ey-tee ]

noun

, Informal.

1. greatest of all time: (used to describe or refer to a person or thing that is considered to be the best ever in a particular field, category, etc., especially in sports):

   If he hadn’t been injured, he would have been the GOAT, but he’s still a top 5 player.

   That film is indisputably GOAT—I watch it at least once a year.

Goat

¹

/ ɡəʊt /

noun

1. the Goat
   the constellation Capricorn, the tenth sign of the zodiac

goat

²

/ ɡəʊt /

noun

1. any sure-footed agile bovid mammal of the genus Capra, naturally inhabiting rough stony ground in Europe, Asia, and N Africa, typically having a brown-grey colouring and a beard. Domesticated varieties ( C. hircus ) are reared for milk, meat, and wool caprinehircine
2. short for Rocky Mountain goat
3. informal.
   a lecherous man
4. a bad or inferior member of any group (esp in the phrase separate the sheep from the goats )
5. short for scapegoat
6. act the goat or act the giddy goat or play the goat or play the giddy goat
   to fool around
7. get someone's goat slang.
   to cause annoyance to someone

Derived Forms

• ˈgoatˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• goat·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of goat¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English got, Old English gāt; cognate with Gothic gaits, Old Norse geit, German Geiss; akin to Latin haedus “young goat, kid”

Origin of goat²

First recorded in 1965–70; originally the name of a company founded by Muhammad Ali, who applied the term greatest of all time to himself

Word History and Origins

Origin of goat¹

Old English gāt; related to Old Norse geit, Old High German geiz, Latin haedus kid

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. get someone's goat, Informal. to anger, annoy, or frustrate a person:

   His arrogance gets my goat.

More idioms and phrases containing goat

see get someone's goat ; separate the sheep from the goats .

Example Sentences

One dish that has really resonated over the years is the Roasted Pig Face at Girl & the Goat — it’s been on the menu since day-one and is still one of our most ordered dishes.

From Salon

Goat and sheep milk is used to make feta cheese - a trademark Greek product.

From BBC

One mountain goat population near Lake Chelan has declined by more than 70% since 2013, and another population in the Goat Rocks Wilderness declined by more than half.

From Seattle Times

During Operation Let’s Mess with Olympic Mountain Goats, 22 died during capture, six couldn’t be relocated and were euthanized, four died in transit and eight couldn’t be captured and were lethally removed.

From Seattle Times

He was only 13 years old when he registered his first goat with the American Dairy Goat Assn. — and he was immediately hooked.

From Los Angeles Times