goat

noun

\ ˈgōt

plural goats

Definition of goat

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a or plural goat : any of various hollow-horned ruminant mammals (especially of the genus Capra) related to the sheep but of lighter build and with backwardly arching horns, a short tail, and usually straight hair especially : one (Capra hircus) long domesticated for its milk, wool, and flesh

b capitalized : capricorn

2 : a licentious man : lecher

3 : scapegoat sense 2

GOAT

abbreviation or noun

\ ˈgōt

variants: or less commonly G.O.A.T.

plural GOATs also G.O.A.T.s

Definition of GOAT (Entry 2 of 2)

: the greatest of all time : the most accomplished and successful individual in the history of a particular sport or category of performance or activity As much fun as it is to debate who is the greatest in NBA history, it's pointless, a question for which there can be no definitive answer…. The list of players who could be considered the GOAT is long, and each one is worthy in his own right.— Nancy Armour There's no denying what Aaron Rodgers has done in his career, but to say Rodgers is the GOAT is a big statement considering what Tom Brady has accomplished. — Pro Football Weekly Former President (and arguably the GOAT of post-presidency careers) Jimmy Carter is leasing 10 acres of his Georgia peanut farm to SolAmerica to create a 1.3MW solar array.— Walter Einenkel If championships alone are the measuring stick, then Michael [Jordan] is probably going to remain the popular choice as the GOAT. But if I can go on aesthetics alone, I know I'd rather watch LeBron [James].— Bob Ryan

Other Words from goat Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about goat

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Examples of goat in a Sentence

Noun

In the last inning, a home run can make you the hero, and a strikeout can make you the goat. an unhappy childhood was the goat he used to rationalize every failure and shortcoming

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

At one farm, a worker cut the throats of conscious goats with a dull knife and then broke their necks, according to PETA. — refinery29.com, "Why Your Favorite Fast-Fashion Stores Just Banned Mohair," 16 May 2018 Guano miners in the 1800s may have brought the animals as a source of fresh meat, although there’s mention of goats as early as 1745. — Geoffrey Giller, Scientific American, "Island Lizards Shift to Evolutionary Fast-Track after Invasive Goats and Rats Are Eradicated," 30 Apr. 2018 Fossil bones allow archaeologists to recognize when species such as dogs, goats and pigs became domesticated. — Richard Wrangham, WSJ, "Humans: The Domesticated Primates," 10 Jan. 2019 The world can be a difficult place sometimes, but then Zac Efron and his equally attractive younger brother Dylan pose with baby goats and things are momentarily okay. — Amy Jamieson, PEOPLE.com, "It's in the Genes: Celebs with Hot Siblings," 27 June 2018 The medieval men of Tjærby shared very similar lifestyles and monotonous diets; the traces of food proteins left in their dental plaque suggested dairy and goat milk, along with oats. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Medieval dental plaque sheds light on how our microbiomes have changed," 25 Nov. 2018 In June, when the weather gets warmer, the goats naturally shed the fleece and the herders gather up the cashmere. — Olivia Martin, Town & Country, "How Loro Piana Works With Mongolian Goat Herds to Gather the World's Softest Cashmere," 25 Oct. 2018 Chickens and cows and horses, oh my! 15. ...but the goats are Joanna's favorites. — Rebecca Shinners, Country Living, "25 Things You Didn't Know About Chip and Joanna Gaines," 22 Aug. 2018 One recent early morning at the ranch outside Carnation, an 18-year-old from California named Robel was up early to feed horses, goats and a couple of farm cats — a much different routine than staying up late to play video games. — Martha Irvine, The Seattle Times, "He’s a ‘tech addict’ who works in Seattle area’s tech industry," 26 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'goat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.