goose
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English [edit]
Etymology [edit]
Old English gōs, from Proto-Germanic *gans, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰans (compare West Frisian goes, North Frisian göis (also Fering-Öömrang dialect gus; Sölring dialect guus; Heligoland dialect gus), Dutch gans, German Gans, Danish gås, Swedish gås, Norwegian gås, Icelandic gæs, Irish gé, Latin ānser, Latvian zùoss, Russian гусь (gus'), Albanian gatë, Ancient Greek χήν (chén), Avestan 𐬰𐬁 (zā), Sanskrit हंस (haṃsa)).
Pronunciation [edit]
Noun [edit]
goose (plural geese)
- Any of various grazing waterfowl of the family Anatidae, bigger than a duck
- There is a flock of geese on the pond.
- The flesh of the goose used as food.
- 1843, Charles Dickens, “Stave 3: The Second of the Three Spirits”, in A Christmas Carol:
- Mrs. Cratchit made the gravy (ready beforehand in a little saucepan) hissing hot; Master Peter mashed the potatoes with incredible vigour; Miss Belinda sweetened up the apple-sauce; Martha dusted the hot plates; Bob took Tiny Tim beside him in a tiny corner at the table; the two young Cratchits set chairs for everybody, not forgetting themselves, and mounting guard upon their posts, crammed spoons into their mouths, lest they should shriek for goose before their turn came to be helped.
- 1843, Charles Dickens, “Stave 3: The Second of the Three Spirits”, in A Christmas Carol:
- (slang) A stupid person
- 1906, Langdon Mitchell, “The New York Idea”, in John Gassner editor, Best Plays of the Early American Theatre, 1787-1911[1], ISBN 0486410986, published 2000, page 430:
- I'm sorry for you, but you're such a goose.
- 1906, Langdon Mitchell, “The New York Idea”, in John Gassner editor, Best Plays of the Early American Theatre, 1787-1911[1], ISBN 0486410986, published 2000, page 430:
- (archaic) A tailor's iron, heated in live coals or embers, used to press fabrics.
- a. 1606, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act II Scene 3:
- Come in, tailor. Here you may roast your goose.
- a. 1606, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act II Scene 3:
- (South Africa, slang, dated) A young woman or girlfriend.
Usage notes [edit]
- A male goose is called a gander. A young goose is a gosling.
- A group of geese can be called a gaggle when they are on the ground or in the water, and a skein or a wedge when they are in flight.
Synonyms [edit]
- (tailor's iron): goose iron
Derived terms [edit]
Derived terms
Translations [edit]
a grazing waterfowl of the family Anatidae
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See also [edit]
Verb [edit]
goose (third-person singular simple present gooses, present participle goosing, simple past and past participle goosed)
- (slang) To sharply poke or pinch someone's buttocks. Derived from a goose's inclination to bite at a retreating intruder's hindquarters.
- To stimulate, to spur.
- (slang) To gently accelerate an automobile or machine, or give repeated small taps on the accelerator.
- (British slang) Of private-hire taxi drivers, to pick up a passenger who has not pre-booked a cab. This is unauthorised under UK licensing conditions.
Categories:
- English terms derived from Old English
- English terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English pronunciation
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English slang
- English archaic terms
- South African English
- English dated terms
- English verbs
- British slang
- English nouns with irregular plurals
- en:Birds
