Geißbock

German

Alternative forms

• Geissbock (Switzerland, Liechtenstein)

Etymology

From Geiß +‎ Bock.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡaɪsˌbɔk/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Geiß‧bock

Noun

Geißbock m (strong, genitive Geißbockes or Geißbocks, plural Geißböcke)

1. billy goat, he-goat

   Synonym: Ziegenbock

Usage notes

The word is most common in southern Germany and Austria. Moreover, it is also used – alongside Ziegenbock – in some more northern regions where Geiß itself has become rare (probably because the compound with Bock is more transparent and generally intelligible than the bare word).

Declension

Declension of Geißbock [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Geißbock	die	Geißböcke
genitive	eines	des	Geißbockes, Geißbocks	der	Geißböcke
dative	einem	dem	Geißbock, Geißbocke1	den	Geißböcken
accusative	einen	den	Geißbock	die	Geißböcke

¹Now rare, see notes.

Synonyms

• Bock (includes other species such as sheep)

Further reading

• “Geißbock” in Duden online
• “Geißbock” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache