goat

noun

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\ 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

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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 In Massachusetts, the Yiddish Book Center’s logo features a goat, an animal that appears in Yiddish literature and art. — Mike Cherney, WSJ, "Designing a Flag for Yiddish Takes Chutzpah," 8 Apr. 2021 One day, Goatee had enough of sitting on the sidelines, so McGregor and his friend, Ryan Valliere, decided to put the goat on a board. — Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, "Meet the Goat Who Works As a Surf Instructor in California," 24 Mar. 2021 The sheep -- though not the lambs or the goat -- gained weight at death for a few seconds. — oregonlive, "Is there an afterlife? A strange soul-weighing experiment in Oregon 20 years ago produced an unexpected result," 9 Mar. 2021 The wool is collected in the spring, after the goat, which is native to the Himalayan region, sheds its winter coat. — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, "Go Beyond the Cashmere Sweater and Wrap Yourself in These Luxurious Extras—Bras, Socks, Pants," 25 Feb. 2021 Even if Nawroth had an appointment with another goat, Nadia always made her presence known. — Candice Wang, Popular Science, "Goats get us. Or at least, our hand gestures.," 27 May 2020 Burton was arrested in April 2020 and charged with animal cruelty and obstructing an animal control officer after a goat that wandered off her property was struck by a car and injured. — Zach Murdock, courant.com, "Connecticut AG asks judge to grant state permanent custody of 65 surviving goats seized from deplorable conditions on Redding property," 19 Mar. 2021 The fetish priests all store their potions in similar-looking white bottles, and charge the same ludicrous fee to those who come to buy them—a goat, a pig, and three hens. — Imbolo Mbue, The New Yorker, "The Case for and Against Love Potions," 15 Mar. 2021 An officer responded to a report of a goat stuck in a wooden fence in the 4400 block of 214th Avenue NW. — Star Tribune, "Twin Cities metro police blotter, March 7," 6 Mar. 2021

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.