Definition

1. Noun:

   • A type of waterfowl: A goose is a web-footed, long-necked, typically gregarious bird, often larger and less aquatic than a duck. Geese are known for their migratory habits.
   • The flesh of this bird as food: Goose refers to the meat from this bird, which can be from domestic or wild varieties.
   • A foolish or incompetent person (slang): Informally, a goose can mean a silly, stupid, or incompetent man.

2. Verb:

   • To poke or pinch someone's buttocks (slang): To goose someone means to give them a quick poke or pinch, especially on the buttocks, often as a prank.
   • To prod into action; to spur on: To goose can mean to stimulate or urge someone or something into faster action or greater effort.
   • To give a spurt of fuel to (an engine): In a mechanical context, to goose an engine means to give it a sudden, brief increase in fuel or power.

Examples

• Noun:

  • A flock of geese flew overhead in a V-formation.
  • We're having roast goose for Christmas dinner.
  • Don't be such a goose; that's a terrible idea.

• Verb:

  • He goosed his friend as a joke, making him jump.
  • The manager goosed the team to finish the project on time.
  • The driver goosed the engine to merge onto the highway.

Advanced Usage

• "What's good for the goose is good for the gander": This idiom means that what is appropriate for one person (often a woman, the "goose") is equally appropriate for another (often a man, the "gander"). It advocates for equal treatment.

  • If she has to work late, so should he. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

• "A wild goose chase": A futile pursuit or search for something unattainable or nonexistent.

  • Looking for that old book in this city is a wild goose chase.

• "To kill the goose that lays the golden eggs": To destroy a reliable source of profit or advantage through greed or shortsightedness.

  • Raising prices so high that customers leave is like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Variants and Related Words

• Geese (n): The plural form of the noun 'goose' (the bird).
• Goosey / Goosy (adj): Resembling a goose; nervous or jumpy.
• Gander (n): A male goose. Informally, it can mean a look or glance (e.g., "take a gander at this").

Synonyms

• Noun (bird): Waterfowl, fowl.
• Noun (fool): Fool, dolt, simpleton, idiot (informal).
• Verb (prod): Jab, poke, nudge, spur, stimulate.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(Note: 'Goose' is not commonly used in standard phrasal verb constructions. Its verbal uses are typically transitive.)

Related Idioms

• "Your goose is cooked": You are in serious trouble; your situation is hopeless.
  • If the boss finds out, your goose is cooked.
• "Can't say boo to a goose": To be very timid or shy.
  • He's so quiet he can't say boo to a goose.

Noun

1. flesh of a goose (domestic or wild)
2. a man who is a stupid incompetent fool
3. web-footed long-necked typically gregarious migratory aquatic birds usually larger and less aquatic than ducks

Verb

1. give a spurt of fuel to
   • goose the car
2. prod into action
3. pinch in the buttocks
   • he goosed the unsuspecting girl