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 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
“My desserts lean into savory,” she said, citing ingredients like miso and goat cheese.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Misha pushed the goat away idly and lifted up the bucket out of their reach.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
LeBron James’ performance against the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA playoffs should put to rest the discussion of whether LeBron or Michael Jordan is the NBA’s GOAT.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 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
Debuting in second place at $32 million in the United States was Sony family-friendly animated flick "GOAT," produced by NBA Superstar Stephen Curry, about an under-sized goat who wants to join a basketball-like "roarball" team.
From Barron's ● Feb. 15, 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
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
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
On resale sites, the $175 jersey now fetches over $300 on the popular resale site Goat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
A new scientific study has found that the Old Irish Goat shares a genetic connection with goats that lived in Ireland about 3,000 years ago during the Late Bronze Age.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 26, 2026
Experienced marathon runner Callum, from Cumnock was scaling Goat Fell last Saturday as part of his training for the upcoming Trans Gran Canaria ultramarathon.
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2026
“Well, I haven’t been talking to the Goat Man about getting Prim’s goat pregnant, because someone gave me completely inaccurate information as to where he lives,” I say to Prim emphatically.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
They recovered 233 dogs, 66 cats, one goose, one parrot, one pig, one rabbit and two goats; all are being kept in county facilities as evidence in the case against De Anda.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 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
In 2025, the technology was featured on Clarkson's Farm, Jeremy Clarkson's fly-on-the-wall documentary about his Cotswolds farm Diddly Squat, where it was used to contain his herd of goats.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
But then, so did the goats and chickens.
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
