billy-goat
Definition
- Noun:
- Male goat: "billy-goat" refers specifically to an adult male goat of the species Capra hircus, often distinguished from a female goat (doe) or a young goat (kid). It is commonly used in informal or everyday speech rather than in scientific or formal contexts.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The farmer kept a billy-goat in the pen to breed with the female goats. (An adult male goat used for reproduction.)
- We saw a billy-goat with long, curved horns climbing the rocky hillside. (A male goat identified by its physical features.)
Advanced Usage
"to be as stubborn as a billy-goat": to be extremely obstinate or unyielding in behavior.
- He refused to change his mind about the route, as stubborn as a billy-goat. (He was very determined and inflexible.)
"billy-goat beard": a tuft of hair on the chin resembling the beard of a male goat.
- The old man wore a scruffy billy-goat beard that he never trimmed. (A chin beard styled like a goat's.)
Variants and Related Words
Billy (n): a shortened, informal form of "billy-goat," used in casual speech.
- The billy is the one causing all the trouble in the herd. (The male goat is the troublemaker.)
Goat (n): the general term for the animal, including both sexes.
- Goats are known for their agility and curiosity. (The animal species as a whole.)
Synonyms
- Male goat: a more formal or neutral term for a billy-goat.
- Buck: sometimes used to refer to a male goat, though "buck" is more common for deer or rabbits.
- He-goat: an older or regional term for a male goat.
Related Idioms
"Get someone's goat": to annoy or irritate someone (this idiom does not directly involve a billy-goat but shares the word "goat").
- His constant humming really gets my goat. (It irritates me.)
"Separate the sheep from the goats": to distinguish between good and bad, or capable and incapable, people (again, "goat" appears but not specifically "billy-goat").
- The final exam will separate the sheep from the goats. (It will differentiate the successful from the unsuccessful.)