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.
They want to see the old goat keep going.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
Instead, some lamb kebab recipes showed only goat, beef fat and chicken drumsticks.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Those include pile burn and goat grazing projects in the Santa Monica Mountains and San Gabriel Valley.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
Of those five cases, I believe we have three in cattle, one in a goat, and one in a dog.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
“I had no cloth to cover my body, no goat for the people who dug my grave! I had no food for the people who mourned me! These things I demand now!” screamed Aunt Chipo.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
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
Sony animated film "GOAT," produced by NBA superstar Stephen Curry, glided into the number one spot at the North American box office, taking in $17 million, industry estimates showed Sunday.
From Barron's ● Feb. 22, 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
The "GOAT Collection" included a rare Rolex Daytona Paul Newman "John Player Special" watch from 1969 that went for $1.1 million.
From Salon ● Dec. 19, 2024
"Yes, and somting better still—not only a place, but a uniform: yes, Gaptain Stobbs, a RED GOAT."
From The Fatal Boots by Thackeray, William Makepeace
On resale sites, the $175 jersey now fetches over $300 on the popular resale site Goat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
Even as her business – Goat Mowers LLC – has grown steadily, she still saw "an uptick" in calls and new customers this year "with how dry it's been".
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 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
For sides, Garten suggests her Leek and Artichoke Bread Pudding and Make-Ahead Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes, which can be covered and refrigerated for up to two days, then baked before Thanksgiving day.
From Salon ● Nov. 18, 2025
‘Sorry. Goat fur. Itchy nose. Do we trust Romans?’
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
Her devotion to animals led to her setting up a section of of her website, the Widdyweb, for the pet cats she has lived with, adopting goats and becoming the patron of a donkey sanctuary.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
The father of three threw himself into his new life: sampling dumplings , milking goats on a farm and filming videos about life in Russia for his online followers.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
Her videos of Everglades alligators and bars full of roaming goats have racked up hundreds of thousands of views, but one transformative moment of inculturation took place at a Cheesecake Factory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
The Los Angeles and Ventura county fire departments have been working to remove flammable vegetation surrounding communities in the Santa Monica Mountains with fire department crews, goats and prescribed fire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2026
Horses aren't as interesting as goats, but it's a better job than cooking or digging trenches.
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.
