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goose
[ goos ]
noun
- any of numerous wild or domesticated, web-footed swimming birds of the family Anatidae, especially of the genera Anser and Branta, most of which are larger and have a longer neck and legs than the ducks.
- a female bird of the family Anatidae, especially of genera Anser and Branta, as distinguished from the male, or gander.
- the flesh of a bird of the family Anatidae, especially of genera Anser and Branta, used as food.
- a silly or foolish person; simpleton.
- Slang. a poke between the buttocks to startle.
- Informal. anything that energizes, strengthens, or the like:
to give the economy a badly needed goose.
- a tailor's smoothing iron with a curved handle.
- an obsolete board game played with dice and counters in which a player whose cast falls in a square containing the picture of a goose is allowed to advance double the number of their throw.
verb (used with object)
- 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.
goose
1/ ɡuːs /
verb
- tr to prod (a person) playfully in the behind
noun
- a playful prod in the behind
goose
2/ ɡuːs /
noun
- any of various web-footed long-necked birds of the family Anatidae: order Anseriformes. They are typically larger and less aquatic than ducks and are gregarious and migratory See also brent goose barnacle goose greylag snow goose anserine
- the female of such a bird, as opposed to the male (gander)
- informal.a silly person
- gooses a pressing iron with a long curving handle, used esp by tailors
- the flesh of the goose, used as food
- all his geese are swansall his geese are swans he constantly exaggerates the importance of a person or thing
- cook someone's goose informal.cook someone's goose
- to spoil someone's plans
- to bring about someone's ruin, downfall, etc
- See golden goosekill the goose that lays the golden eggskill the goose that lays the golden eggs to sacrifice future benefits for the sake of momentary present needs See also golden goose
goose
- One's chances are ruined: “After the recent disclosures of foul play, political analysts feel that the candidate's goose is now thoroughly cooked.”
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Other Words From
- gooselike adjective
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Word History and Origins
Origin of goose1
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Word History and Origins
Origin of goose1
Origin of goose2
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Idioms and Phrases
- 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.
More idioms and phrases containing goose
- cook someone's goose
- gone coon (goose)
- kill the goose that laid the golden eggs
- sauce for the goose
- wild goose chase
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Example Sentences
Sandpipers, owls, loons, and geese all go through smaller migrations.
Under a giant oak tree, I conducted a phone interview without interruption from my office mates — shrieking kids and nasal-y geese.
It’s common to see dozens upon dozens of geese nesting on the side of parkways on Long Island.
Fact is, their goose was cooked by going for 2 at the end of the third quarter to turn down 5 into down 3.
Every year, millions of bar-headed geese migrate over the Himalayas and have been doing so for millions of years.
We had a little goose that was laying golden eggs, and they told us to snip its head off.
I wandered around aimlessly for a while, then gave the goose to an acquiescent hippy on a barge.
One of the men was carrying a carving knife and a live goose.
Finally, Cleese goose-steps out of the dining room as the hapless Germans cringe and sob.
Then, the big goose egg that the administration is going to get from Iran will more obviously be a zip.
To hear the creature talk about it makes my mouth as a brick kiln and my flesh as that of a goose.
The Kutchin make pretty pipe-stems out of goose-quills wound about with porcupine-quills.
The universal desire was for mamma to see him, and when the time came, she owned that papa's swan had not turned out a goose.
The declination axis is short, and is supported by a massive goose-neck bolted to the upper end of the polar axis.
Of waking dog, nor gaggling goose more waker then the hound.'
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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.
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