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.
any of various related animals, as the Rocky Mountain goat.
Astronomy, Astrology. Goat, the constellation or sign Capricorn.
Also the goat a scapegoat or victim.
When the police came, he was left behind to be the goat.
a licentious or lecherous man; lecher.
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
short for Rocky Mountain goat
informal a lecherous man
a bad or inferior member of any group (esp in the phrase separate the sheep from the goats )
short for scapegoat
to fool around
slang to cause annoyance to someone
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”
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
A four-legged, rambunctious farm animal with small curved horns is a goat. Farmers raise goats for milk, wool, and meat — as well as for their skill at clearing weeds from fields. Goats aren't perfect pets because they'll nibble on just about anything, including paper, clothing, rope, outdoor furniture, and your flower garden. A well-fed goat, however, won't eat tin cans and newspaper, although they'll happily clear the poison ivy out of your yard. Goats, which are close relatives of sheep, are among the oldest domesticated animals. The Proto-Indo-European root of goat also means "to play."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The toppings are market-flexible, too: Use whatever chèvre or goat cheese you find, whether it crumbles into little pillows or lands in soft clouds, and turn a leftover hunk of cornbread into crisp, salty crumbs.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Swanning around that flawless midcentury lair in bucolic Southern California, smug land of the $22 smoothie, the 3 p.m. goat yoga class, and the unwanted, inexplicable reboot.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Michelle Tritten of Hello Critter hosts rejuvenating goat yoga events around Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Instead, some lamb kebab recipes showed only goat, beef fat and chicken drumsticks.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
The man shut the dogs away in a goat pen.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
His CV may lack a Rugby World Cup, but it continues to strengthen the debate that he is rugby's GOAT.
From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2026
Sony's family-friendly animated film "GOAT" -- the story of an undersized goat who wants to join a basketball-like "roarball" team -- finished in fourth place at $6.6 million.
From Barron's ● Mar. 8, 2026
The reigning GOAT, Novak Djokovic, 24 majors to his name, hasn’t even left the premises.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 2, 2026
The "GOAT Collection" included a rare Rolex Daytona Paul Newman "John Player Special" watch from 1969 that went for $1.1 million.
From Salon ● Dec. 19, 2024
"Yes, and somting better still—not only a place, but a uniform: yes, Gaptain Stobbs, a RED GOAT."
From The Fatal Boots by William Makepeace Thackeray
Iron Man Cal, like the runner-up trained by Phil D’Amato, was third, with The Goat fourth and pacesetting Mirahmadi fading to last.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
"It is known as the picture that broke the internet. It was a commercial masterstroke," said Melanie Ropp, from social media marketing company the Goat Agency.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
When researchers compared the genomes of these ancient animals with modern breeds, they found the closest genetic match was the critically endangered Old Irish Goat still surviving today.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 26, 2026
TJ’s Chevre Goat Cheese won big in the 15th Annual Customer Choice Awards, stealing the spotlight from the previous winner, TJ’s Cheddar with Caramelized Onions.
From Salon ● Jan. 28, 2026
Pinkie spotted them before they disappeared in the fog and shouted, “Don’t you worry, Ben. We’ll find your daddy. Philip and Art are up by Goat Island looking. Even Mr. Loring’s in a boat looking.”
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
Three Royal Golden Guernsey goats have joined the island's conservation herd, which was previously made up of only Guernsey cattle.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Now he can only feed up to 15 goats, compared with as many as 40 previously.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
They take the olive groves and the goats and the summer houses, and they take the makeshift shelters and the fragile new footing of people who had already lost everything once.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
Mum-of-one Victoria believes she was bitten when she was at her brother-in-law's home as he has goats that can attract ticks.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
The only math she’d need there would be for counting goats and rows of tomato plants.
From "I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919" by Lauren Tarshis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
