geese
- Noun (plural of "goose"):
- Waterfowl: "geese" refers to large waterbirds with a long neck, short legs, and a honking call, typically found in the wild or domesticated for their meat, eggs, or feathers.
- Foolish person (informal, figurative): "geese" can also describe people who are considered naive or silly, though this usage is less common in the plural.
Waterfowl:
A flock of geese flew overhead in a V-formation during their migration. (A group of these birds traveling together.)
The farmer raises geese for their eggs and down feathers. (Domesticated birds kept for products.)Foolish person (rare in plural):
Those geese didn't realize the deal was a scam. (Those naive people were tricked.)
"Wild goose chase": a futile or hopeless search for something that does not exist or is impossible to find.
The detective sent them on a wild goose chase for the missing documents. (A pointless pursuit.)"What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander": what is acceptable for one person should be acceptable for another.
If you can arrive late, so can I — what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. (Fair treatment for both sides.)
Goose (n, singular): one bird of the species.
A single goose honked loudly by the pond. (One bird.)Gosling (n): a young goose.
The gosling followed its mother closely. (A baby goose.)Goosebumps (n, compound): small bumps on the skin due to cold or fear.
The scary movie gave me goosebumps. (Physical reaction.)
- Waterfowl: swans, ducks, brants (related birds).
- Foolish person (figurative): simpletons, nincompoops, blockheads.
"Kill the goose that lays the golden eggs": to destroy a source of steady profit or benefit through greed or short-sightedness.
The company fired its best salesman, killing the goose that laid the golden eggs. (Ruining a valuable asset.)"Silly goose": a playful term for a naive or foolish person.
Don't be such a silly goose — it's just a spider. (A harmless, foolish person.)