goose

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English goos, gos, from Old English gōs, from Proto-West Germanic *gans, from Proto-Germanic *gans, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰh₂éns. The tailor's iron is so called from the likeness of the handle to the neck of a goose. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) enPR: gōōs, IPA(key): /ɡuːs/ (General American) IPA(key): /ɡus/ (Northern Ireland, Scotland, California) IPA(key): /ɡʉs/ (Standard Southern British) IPA(key): /ɡʉ͡ws/ Rhymes: -uːs === Noun === goose (countable and uncountable, plural geese) Any of various grazing waterfowl of the family Anatidae, which have feathers and webbed feet and are capable of flying, swimming, and walking on land, and which are generally bigger than ducks. (strictly) A female goose. The flesh of the goose used as food. (slang, plural geese or gooses) A silly person. (archaic) A tailor's iron, heated in live coals or embers, used to press fabrics. Synonym: goose iron (South Africa, slang, dated) A young woman or girlfriend. (uncountable, historical) An old English board game in which players moved counters along a board, earning a double move when they reached the picture of a goose. ==== Hypernyms ==== (waterfowl): waterfowl ==== Hyponyms ==== (waterfowl): gander, gosling (waterfowl): brant ==== Holonyms ==== (waterfowl): flock, skein, gaggle, wedge, V ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== dove or pigeon, squab duck, duckling eider swan, swanling anserine === Verb === goose (third-person singular simple present gooses, present participle goosing, simple past and past participle goosed) (transitive, slang) To sharply poke or pinch the buttocks, or prod between the buttocks, of (a person). (transitive, slang) To stimulate; to spur. (transitive, slang) To gently accelerate (a vehicle); to give repeated, small taps on the accelerator of (a vehicle); to feather the throttle of (a vehicle). (slang, UK) Of private-hire taxi drivers, to pick up a passenger who has not booked a cab, in violation of UK licensing conditions. (transitive, slang) To hiss (a performer) off the stage.