Word Study
goose
CIDE DICTIONARY
goose, n. [OE. gos, AS. g, pl. g; akin to D. & G. gans, Icel. gās, Dan. gaas, Sw. g, Russ. guse. OIr. geiss, L. anser, for hanser, Gr. chh`n, Skr. ha. Gander, Gannet, Ganza, Gosling.].
- Any large web-footen bird of the subfamily
Anserinæ , and belonging toAnser ,Branta ,Chen , and several allied genera. See Anseres. [1913 Webster]" The common domestic goose is believed to have been derived from the European graylag goose (Anser anser ). The bean goose (A. segetum ), the American wild or Canada goose (Branta Canadensis ), and the bernicle goose (Branta leucopsis ) are well known species. The American white or snow geese and the blue goose belong to the genusChen . SeeBernicle ,Emperor goose , underEmperor ,Snow goose ,Wild goose ,Brant ." [1913 Webster] - Any large bird of other related families, resembling the common goose. [1913 Webster]" The Egyptian or fox goose (
Alopochen Ægyptiaca ) and the African spur-winged geese (Plectropterus ) belong to the familyPlectropteridæ . The Australian semipalmated goose (Anseranas semipalmata ) and Cape Barren goose (Cereopsis Novæ-Hollandiæ ) are very different from northern geese, and each is made the type of a distinct family. Both are domesticated in Australia." [1913 Webster] - A tailor's smoothing iron, so called from its handle, which resembles the neck of a goose. [1913 Webster]
- A silly creature; a simpleton. [1913 Webster]
- A game played with counters on a board divided into compartments, in some of which a goose was depicted. [1913 Webster]"The pictures placed for ornament and use,
The twelve good rules, the royal game of goose." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
goose, n. & v.
--n. (pl. geese)
1 a any of various large water-birds of the family Anatidae, with short legs, webbed feet, and a broad bill. b the female of this (opp. GANDER). c the flesh of a goose as food.
2 colloq. a simpleton.
3 (pl. gooses) a tailor's smoothing-iron, having a handle like a goose's neck.
--v.tr. sl. poke (a person) in the bottom.
--n. (pl. geese)
1 a any of various large water-birds of the family Anatidae, with short legs, webbed feet, and a broad bill. b the female of this (opp. GANDER). c the flesh of a goose as food.
2 colloq. a simpleton.
3 (pl. gooses) a tailor's smoothing-iron, having a handle like a goose's neck.
--v.tr. sl. poke (a person) in the bottom.
Idiom
goose bumps US = goose-flesh. goose-egg US a zero score in a game. goose-flesh (or -pimples or -skin) a bristling state of the skin produced by cold or fright. goose-step a military marching step in which the knees are kept stiff.
Etymology
OE gos f. Gmc
DEVIL DICTIONARY
goose
n. A bird that supplies quills for writing. These, by some occult process of nature, are penetrated and suffused with various degrees of the bird's intellectual energies and emotional character, so that when inked and drawn mechanically across paper by a person called an "author," there results a very fair and accurate transcript of the fowl's thought and feeling. The difference in geese, as discovered by this ingenious method, is considerable: many are found to have only trivial and insignificant powers, but some are seen to be very great geese indeed.THESAURUS
goose
Bantam, Cornish hen, banty, barn-door fowl, barnyard fowl, biddy, broiler, brooder, broody hen, caille, canard, caneton, capon, chanticleer, chapon, chick, chickabiddy, chicken, chicky, cock, cockerel, dindon, domestic fowl, drake, duck, duckling, dunghill fowl, faisan, fowl, fryer, game fowl, gander, gobbler, gosling, grouse, guinea cock, guinea fowl, guinea hen, hen, hen turkey, oie, partlet, partridge, pheasant, pigeon, pigeonneau, poulard, poulet, poult, poultry, pullet, quail, roaster, rooster, setting hen, silly, silly Billy, silly ass, spring chicken, squab, stewing chicken, tom, tom turkey, turkey, turkey gobbler, turkey-cock, volaille, wild duckROGET THESAURUS
goose
Sharpness
N sharpness, acuity, acumination, spinosity, point, spike, spine, spicule, spiculum, needle, hypodermic needle, tack, nail, pin, prick, prickle, spur, rowel, barb, spit, cusp, horn, antler, snag, tag thorn, bristle, Adam's needle, bear grass, tine, yucca, nib, tooth, tusk, spoke, cog, ratchet, crag, crest, arete, cone peak, sugar loaf, pike, aiguille, spire, pyramid, steeple, beard, chevaux de frise, porcupine, hedgehog, brier, bramble, thistle, comb, awn, beggar's lice, bur, burr, catchweed, cleavers, clivers, goose, grass, hairif, hariff, flax comb, hackle, hatchel, heckle, wedge, knife edge, cutting edge, blade, edge tool, cutlery, knife, penknife, whittle, razor, razor blade, safety razor, straight razor, electric razor, scalpel, bistoury, lancet, plowshare, coulter, colter, hatchet, ax, pickax, mattock, pick, adze, gill, billhook, cleaver, cutter, scythe, sickle, scissors, shears, pruning shears, cutters, wire cutters, nail clipper, paper cutter, sword, bodkin, belduque, bowie knife, paring knife, bushwhacker, drawing knife, drawing shave, microtome, chisel, screwdriver blade, flint blade, guillotine, sharpener, hone, strop, grindstone, whetstone, novaculite, steel, emery, sharp, keen, acute, acicular, aciform, aculeated, acuminated, pointed, tapering, conical, pyramidal, mucronate, mucronated, spindle shaped, needle shaped, spiked, spiky, ensiform, peaked, salient, cusped, cuspidate, cuspidated, cornute, cornuted, cornicultate, prickly, spiny, spinous, spicular, thorny, bristling, muricated, pectinated, studded, thistly, briary, craggy, snaggy, digitated, two-edged, fusiform, dentiform, denticulated, toothed, odontoid, starlike, stellated, stelliform, sagittate, sagittiform, arrowheaded, arrowy, barbed, spurred, acinaciform, apiculate, apiculated, aristate, awned, awny, bearded, calamiform, cone-shaped, coniform, crestate, echinate, gladiate, lanceolate, lanciform, awl, awl-shaped, lance-shaped, awl- shaped, scimitar-shaped, sword-shaped, setarious, spinuliferous, subulate, tetrahedral, xiphoid, cutting, sharp edged, knife edged, sharp as a razor, keen as a razor, sharp as a needle, sharp as a tack, sharpened, set.Sibilation
N sibilance, sibilation, zip, hiss, sternutation, high note, goose, serpent, snake (animal sounds), insect, bug, bee, mosquito, wasp, fly, tea kettle, pressure cooker, air valve, pressure release valve, safety valve, tires, air escaping from tires, punctured tire, escaping steam, steam, steam radiator, steam release valve, sibilant, hissing, wheezy, sternutative.Fool
N fool, idiot, tomfool, wiseacre, simpleton, witling, dizzard, donkey, ass, ninny, ninnyhammer, chowderhead, chucklehead, dolt, booby, Tom Noddy, looby, hoddy-doddy, noddy, nonny, noodle, nizy, owl, goose, goosecap, imbecile, gaby, radoteur, nincompoop, badaud, zany, trifler, babbler, pretty fellow, natural, niais, child, baby, infant, innocent, milksop, sop, oaf, lout, loon, lown, dullard, doodle, calf, colt, buzzard, block, put, stick, stock, numps, tony, bull head, dunderhead, addlehead, blockhead, dullhead, loggerhead, jolthead, jolterhead, beetlehead, beetlebrain, grosshead, muttonhead, noodlehead, giddyhead, numbskull, thickskull, lackbrain, shallowbrain, dimwit, halfwit, lackwit, dunderpate, lunkhead sawney, gowk, clod, clod-hopper, clod-poll, clot-poll, clot-pate, bull calf, gawk, Gothamite, lummox, rube, men of Boeotia, wise men of Gotham, un sot a triple etage, sot, jobbernowl, changeling, mooncalf, gobemouche, dotard, driveler, old fogey, old woman, crock, crone, grandmother, cotquean, henhussy, incompetent (insanity), greenhorn, dunce, lubber, madman, one who will not set the Thames on fire, one who did not invent gunpowder, qui n'a pas invente' la poudre, no conjuror, fortuna favet fatuis, les fous font les festinas et les sages les mangen, nomina stultorum parietibus harrent, stultorum plena sunt omnia.For further exploring for "goose" in Webster Dictionary Online
