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

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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

Check out how adorable the 2-week-old goat is in the zoo’s video below. — Bethany Ao, Philly.com, "Zoo New England fulfills Super Bowl bet by naming its newest baby goat Foles," 10 May 2018 For much of its recent history, this region of Kenya was inhospitable to all but a local tribe of herders with their goats and camels. — Deirdre Fernandes, BostonGlobe.com, "An education in hope," 7 July 2018 When Tonning first approached his industrial boatyard, she was greeted by his pet goat. — Robert Earle Howells, SFChronicle.com, "Insider: A sea captain’s guide to Eureka," 5 July 2018 And here’s a simple way to do it — find your favorite fresh goat or sheep cheese. — Anna Thomas Bates, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Need an easy slam-dunk for a potluck? Try marinated cheese," 4 July 2018 The pastures that once fed his goats and cattle are part of the 4,000-acre estate of Hilton College, an exclusive boys’ boarding school that has educated South Africa’s elite for the past century. — Gabriele Steinhauser, WSJ, "South Africa Confronts Confounding Question: Who Gets the Land?," 13 June 2018 What really gets my goat with such an incident is that while most of us are sleeping – sleeping! — Matthew Martinez, star-telegram, "Boycott Whataburger? After detective with gun is turned away, restaurant apologizes," 1 June 2018 In cuter news, Zoo New England named its new baby goat after Nick Foles after losing a Super Bowl bet. — Aubrey Nagle, Philly.com, "Asbestos levels putting schools at risk, Sixers end playoff run | Morning Newsletter," 10 May 2018 It's carried by animals, including cattle, sheep, and goats. — Cathleen O'grady, Ars Technica, "Trash your romaine lettuce and don’t eat any in restaurants, says the CDC," 21 Nov. 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.