goat

\ 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 Meanwhile, goats on San Clemente Island off of California threatened to drive native plants to extinction. — Justin Worland, Time, "Inside the Effort to Hunt Pythons Slithering Amok in the Florida Everglades," 6 Nov. 2019 Or watch him talking to Brady in the corridor after the game and see him hand him the goat-haired OBJ shoes — for the Greatest Of All Time — to know where his mind is at. — Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland, "Odell Beckham and Baker Mayfield must find their groove and win or OBJ won’t want to stay with Browns," 6 Nov. 2019 Three of the home’s goats gave their lives for the 20th anniversary feast. — Ken Budd, Washington Post, "I spent time in a Kenyan orphanage hoping to make a difference. But was I really helping?," 6 Nov. 2019 Lisa, along with her family, takes care of rescue animals from horses to pigs and goats to dogs and cats. — Alice Mannette, chicagotribune.com, "A Kansas farm is giving second chances to abused animals," 1 Nov. 2019 By midday, fire refugees had brought five dogs, five cats and three goats to the county animal shelter near the Camarillo Airport. — Kathleen Wilson, USA TODAY, "Horse owners scramble to evacuate their animals ahead of California fire," 30 Oct. 2019 Smallholding farmers of West Bengal and Jharkhand prefer varieties with long and strong awns (spine-like projections at the end of the hull), which deter grazing by cattle and goats. — Debal Deb, Scientific American, "The Struggle to Save Heirloom Rice in India," 16 Oct. 2019 The Keathleys learned their home insurance policy covers damage from bears and deer but not goats. — Mark Gillispie, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Goat rams through sliding glass door, naps inside bathroom," 9 Oct. 2019 Seven goats will scale — and eat — the 30-foot mount at the center of the gardens. — Marcy De Luna, Houston Chronicle, "Goats, students to help maintain gardens at Hermann Park Conservancy's 'Weed Stampede'," 27 Sep. 2019

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.