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goose

[ goos ]
/ gus /
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See synonyms for: goose / geese / goosed / goosing on Thesaurus.com

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.
  1. to prod or urge to action or an emotional reaction: The promise of time off may goose the workers and increase profits.
  2. to strengthen or improve (often followed by up): Let's goose up the stew with some wine.
  3. to increase; raise (often followed by up): to goose up government loans in weak industries.
  4. to give a spurt of fuel to (a motor) to increase speed.
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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, adjective
Dictionary.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.
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