Judas goat

[ joo-duhs goht ]

noun

1. a goat that has been specially trained to lead sheep or other livestock, especially to the slaughtering place in a stockyard or meat processing facility:

   Some smaller meat packing plants still use Judas goats.

   Instead of opting for Judas goats, his farm uses the most responsive cow in each pasture group to drive the others when it’s time to move.

2. a goat, fitted with a radio transmitter, that is released in an area to find and join a herd of wild goats, guiding conservationists to their location by means of the radio signal: used to control populations of wild goats considered invasive and destructive:

   The park currently serves as home to three Judas goats—agents of an effort to protect the local ecosystem.

3. a person who betrays followers or dependents, often unwittingly as the tool of an enemy:

   Some say the leader of the union is a Judas goat, far too cozy with management and making too many compromises.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Judas goat¹

First recorded in 1905–10