goose
[ goos ]
/ gus /
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noun, plural geese [gees] /gis/ for 1, 2, 4, 8; goos·es for 5-7.
verb (used with object), goosed, goos·ing.
Slang. to poke (a person) between the buttocks to startle.
Informal.
- to prod or urge to action or an emotional reaction: The promise of time off may goose the workers and increase profits.
- to strengthen or improve (often followed by up): Let's goose up the stew with some wine.
- to increase; raise (often followed by up): to goose up government loans in weak industries.
- to give a spurt of fuel to (a motor) to increase speed.
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There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!
Question 1 of 7
True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.
Idioms about goose
cook someone's goose, Informal. to ruin someone's hopes, plans, chances, etc.: His goose was cooked when they found the stolen gems in his pocket.
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
OTHER WORDS FROM goose
gooselike, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use goose in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for goose (1 of 2)
goose1
/ (ɡuːs) /
noun plural geese (ɡiːs)
Word Origin for goose
Old English gōs; related to Old Norse gās, Old High German gans, Old Irish gēiss swan, Greek khēn, Sanskrit hainsas
British Dictionary definitions for goose (2 of 2)
goose2
/ (ɡuːs) slang /
verb
(tr) to prod (a person) playfully in the behind
noun plural gooses
a playful prod in the behind
Word Origin for goose
C19: from goose 1, probably from a comparison with the jabbing of a goose's bill
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for goose
goose
One's chances are ruined: “After the recent disclosures of foul play, political analysts feel that the candidate's goose is now thoroughly cooked.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with goose
goose
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.