goose egg

noun

, Informal.

1. the numeral zero, often used to indicate the failure of a team to score in a game or unit of a game:

   a pitchers' duel, with nothing but goose eggs on the scoreboard.

2. a lump raised by a blow, especially on the head.

Word History and Origins

Origin of goose egg¹

1350–1400; 1885–90, Americanism, goose egg fordef 1; Middle English: the egg of a goose

Idioms and Phrases

Zero, nothing, especially a score of zero. For example, Our team did badly, earning goose egg , or My income from writing this year was goose egg . This expression is an Americanization of the earlier British duck's egg . [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

Then, the big goose egg that the administration is going to get from Iran will more obviously be a zip.

From The Daily Beast

Thus continued a goose chase that produced, well, a goose egg.

From The Daily Beast

It was a pretty double play and retired the Stars with a goose egg.

From Project Gutenberg

If we can get one run, and hold them down to a goose egg it will do.

From Project Gutenberg

And as a goose egg was put up for Brill on the score board the opponents cheered as wildly as ever.

From Project Gutenberg

The one to whom is awarded the goose egg is the next to roll the ball from the dead line in the endeavor to get it into a hole.

From Project Gutenberg

Then Murmur Goose-Egg went into the smithy, and had the smith make an iron ax of five hundred-weights.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• nobody