goose
Americannoun
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any of numerous wild or domesticated, web-footed swimming birds of the family Anatidae, especially of the genera Anser and Branta, most of which are larger and have a longer neck and legs than the ducks.
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a female bird of the family Anatidae, especially of genera Anser and Branta, as distinguished from the male, or gander.
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the flesh of a bird of the family Anatidae, especially of genera Anser and Branta, used as food.
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a silly or foolish person; simpleton.
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Slang. a poke between the buttocks to startle.
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Informal. anything that energizes, strengthens, or the like.
to give the economy a badly needed goose.
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a tailor's smoothing iron with a curved handle.
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an obsolete board game played with dice and counters in which a player whose cast falls in a square containing the picture of a goose is allowed to advance double the number of their throw.
verb (used with object)
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Slang. to poke (a person) between the buttocks to startle.
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Informal.
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to prod or urge to action or an emotional reaction.
The promise of time off may goose the workers and increase profits.
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to strengthen or improve (often followed byup ).
Let's goose up the stew with some wine.
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to increase; raise (often followed byup ).
to goose up government loans in weak industries.
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to give a spurt of fuel to (a motor) to increase speed.
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idioms
noun
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any of various web-footed long-necked birds of the family Anatidae: order Anseriformes. They are typically larger and less aquatic than ducks and are gregarious and migratory See also brent goose barnacle goose greylag snow goose
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the female of such a bird, as opposed to the male (gander)
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informal a silly person
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a pressing iron with a long curving handle, used esp by tailors
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the flesh of the goose, used as food
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he constantly exaggerates the importance of a person or thing
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informal
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to spoil someone's plans
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to bring about someone's ruin, downfall, etc
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to sacrifice future benefits for the sake of momentary present needs See also golden goose
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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goosesimple
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goosessimple
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have goosedperfect
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has goosedperfect
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am goosingprogressive
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are goosingprogressive
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is goosingprogressive
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have been goosingperfect progressive
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has been goosingperfect progressive
Past
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goosedsimple
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had goosedperfect
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was goosingprogressive
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were goosingprogressive
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had been goosingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of goose
First recorded before 1000; Middle English gose, goos, Old English gōs (plural gēs ); cognate with German Gans, Old Norse gās; compare Sanskrit haṅsa, Greek chḗn, Latin ānser
Explanation
A goose is a large bird with webbed feet. Geese hang out around ponds and lakes, fly in a V formation, and make a distinct honking noise. Geese are classified as waterfowl, birds that live at least part of the time in a body of water. If someone calls you a goose, it's mildly insulting: they're saying you're silly. Many other common phrases use goose, including "a wild goose chase," which means a hopeless pursuit or waste of time, and "your goose is cooked," which translates to "you are in big trouble!"
Vocabulary lists containing goose
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the early ’90s, he had attended Long Beach’s mythic Spruce Goose rave, which took over the hulking geodesic dome that once housed eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes’ failed wooden plane.
From Slate • Jun. 25, 2026
Loren Becker, a semi-retired registered nurse, had ducked into the Black Goose coffee shop in Union, Kentucky, to escape a downpour on Saturday morning.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
A framed photo of a scene from the 1915 film “The Wild Goose Chase,” starring Ina Claire, shows Cecil B. DeMille directing, in center.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2026
In an "Oh no it isn't!" twist Lucie Goose, played by Dion Davies, in Mother Goose at the Courtyard in Hereford, said what a dame needed was star quality.
From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025
The Goose Fair's literally magic, I thought, sitting there.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
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.
