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 analysis included a broad range of red meats, such as beef, lamb, pork, rabbit, goat, and game.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026
The small restaurant serves Somali food, and I get the same thing every time I visit: goat mendi, with fall-apart bone-in goat served over deeply seasoned rice studded with crispy bits of potato and raisins.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
Among the main events is kok-boru, a horseback sport where riders must gain control of a goat carcass and throw it into the opponent's goal.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
Please don’t expect me to laugh at the goats from goat yoga rampaging through a hotel lobby or a high-speed golf cart chase.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
The door shuddered as the goat rammed it with his head.
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
In case you’re wondering, 20 years after his proclamation of Sondheimer as the GOAT, Suppan stands by his statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
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
The Patriots Super Bowl reset comes with a new quarterback sensation, fresh on the heels of the GOAT.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026
"So, of course, I'm super sad not to step on the court and to compete against my idol and the GOAT."
From Barron's ● Jan. 25, 2026
GOAT, T. H. E., the one who purchased this book.
From Who Was Who: 5000 BC - 1914 Biographical Dictionary of the Famous and Those Who Wanted to Be by Irwin Leslie Gordon
To see the converging waters and feel the roaring wind, you can drive to Goat Rock Road and Goat Rock Beach.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
On resale sites, the $175 jersey now fetches over $300 on the popular resale site Goat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 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
But as Swanson took more measurements over the course of an hour and a half, Goat Rocks seemed to crawl away from him by a full twelve inches.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
The city has already deployed goats to chomp away at invasive brush along the hillsides, but Cosgrove, who wrote Measure M, said more work is necessary to protect the community.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
They occur naturally in the milk of animals such as cows, sheep, and goats, but they can also be produced artificially during the manufacture of partially hydrogenated fats.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
When he was 16, he said he left home in a West Bank settlement and hiked into the hills with goats and little else.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026
“The house was small, so we built onto it to add a kitchen. We use the barns as a sanctuary for rescued horses, ducks, chickens, peacocks, goats, and other animals,” she went on.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
They had to watch the goats and chickens more closely, but other than the gloomy, dark days, winter wasn’t terrible.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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