goatee

American  

[goh-tee] / goʊˈti /

noun

goatees plural

1. a man's beard trimmed to a tuft or point on the chin.

---

goatee British  

/ ɡəʊˈtiː /

noun

1. a pointed tuftlike beard on the chin

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• goateed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• goatees
  plural

Etymology

Origin of goatee

1835–45, goat (from its resemblance to a goat's tufted chin) + -ee, probably as spelling variant of -y ², -ie, though stressed as if formed with -ee

Explanation

A goatee is a narrow beard. If your uncle shaves his cheeks and the sides of his chin, leaving just a strip of hair under his mouth, you can compliment him on his goatee. Some facial hair purists say that it's only a goatee if there's no mustache involved — the combination of a narrow beard and mustache can also be called a "Van Dyke." Others are fine with describing any beard that doesn't extend fully across the face from ear to ear as a goatee. This term comes from the tufted beards that many goats have, and it was originally known as a goaty.

Example Sentences

College for most of us means freedom: freedom from parents, freedom to protest, to experiment, and, for me, to briefly wear a goatee.

From Slate • Jun. 24, 2026

Born into a poor family in the western province of Artemisa on April 28, 1932, Valdes was instantly recognizable by his white goatee and green military fatigues.

From Barron's • Jun. 21, 2026

That’s when I fell in love with those goatee and mullet-sporting risk-takers, the dreamers and pioneers whose fortunes seemed directly tied to the growth of the game.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

With his wispy goatee beard and baby-faced features, he looks even younger than he is.

From BBC • Oct. 23, 2025

She worked on it for a week, using a sharpened Popsicle stick to shape the slightly bulging eyes and the goatee and earring and longish hair.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls