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goose
[ goos ]
/ gus /
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noun, plural geese [gees] /gis/ for 1, 2, 4, 8; goos·es for 5-7.
verb (used with object), goosed, goos·ing.
Slang. to poke (a person) between the buttocks to startle.
Informal.
- to prod or urge to action or an emotional reaction: The promise of time off may goose the workers and increase profits.
- to strengthen or improve (often followed by up): Let's goose up the stew with some wine.
- to increase; raise (often followed by up): to goose up government loans in weak industries.
- to give a spurt of fuel to (a motor) to increase speed.
QUIZ
GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!
Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.
Question 1 of 9
Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?
Idioms about goose
cook someone's goose, Informal. to ruin someone's hopes, plans, chances, etc.: His goose was cooked when they found the stolen gems in his pocket.
Origin of goose
First recorded before 1000; Middle English gose, goos, Old English gĆs (plural gÄs ); cognate with German Gans, Old Norse gÄs; compare Sanskrit haáč
sa, Greek chážn, Latin Änser
OTHER WORDS FROM goose
gooselike, adjectiveWords nearby goose
goop, goopy, goorie, go or no-go, goosander, goose, goose barnacle, Goose Bay, gooseberry, gooseberry bush, gooseberry stone
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use goose in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for goose (1 of 2)
goose1
/ (ÉĄuËs) /
noun plural geese (ÉĄiËs)
Word Origin for goose
Old English gĆs; related to Old Norse gÄs, Old High German gans, Old Irish gÄiss swan, Greek khÄn, Sanskrit hainsas
British Dictionary definitions for goose (2 of 2)
goose2
/ (ÉĄuËs) slang /
verb
(tr) to prod (a person) playfully in the behind
noun plural gooses
a playful prod in the behind
Word Origin for goose
C19: from goose 1, probably from a comparison with the jabbing of a goose's bill
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for goose
goose
One's chances are ruined: âAfter the recent disclosures of foul play, political analysts feel that the candidate's goose is now thoroughly cooked.â
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with goose
goose
The American HeritageÂź Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.