goat

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)Any ruminant of the genus Capra.

   “The first thing that greets you on entering the church is a notice asking you not to vex the goat, since it renders valuable service in keeping the churchyard tidy.”

   “Folkestone: Network Rail and the White Cliffs Countryside Project have procured a herd of goats to keep vegetation on the slopes of Folkestone Warren under control, and to encourage rare species.”

2. (uncountable)Any ruminant of the genus Capra.

   “Hungrily, by firelight, we set to with damper and cold goat washed down by hot tea.”

   “Joshua could not stop himself from scooping more goat on his plate: Paul had cooked it so long that the meat seemed to melt like hot, syrupy candy in his mouth. Joshua remembered goat as a stringy dark meat, but the red spicy mass before him was nothing like he recalled.”

3. (countable, slang, uncountable)A lecherous man.
4. (countable, informal, uncountable)A scapegoat.

   “Fernando Rodney, the goat in Sunday's 10th inning loss to Tampa Bay, threw three nearly perfect innings in relief on Tuesday after being demoted from the closer role.”

   “1997, "1997 World Series", Game 7, bottom 11th inning, TV broadcast on NBC Sports, early morning October 27, 1997; words by Bob Costas Tony Fernández, who has worn hero's laurels throughout the postseason including earlier in this seventh game of the World Series, now cruel as it may seem, perhaps being fitted for goat horns.”

5. (countable, slang, uncountable)A Pontiac GTO car.
6. (countable, uncountable)A person who is not easily understood by a speech recognition system; contrasted with sheep.
7. (countable, uncountable)A fool, loser, or object of ridicule.

   “Samaurez said over his shoulder, “In fact, I missed being the class goat by only three places.” Gwen patted his arm, “But, look H-Two, George Pickett was the goat and see how famous he became.””

   “...Butch was the goat in that deal and innocent of the trap he was placed in.”

   ““If Osterman wants to play the goat, why should you help him out?””

8. (countable, uncountable)A blocker who is isolated behind the opposing team's blockers, so as to slow down the pack.
9. (abbreviation, acronym, alt-of)Alternative letter-case form of GOAT (“greatest of all time”).
10. (alt-of, alternative, obsolete, possibly)Alternative form of gote (“sluice, waterway”).

    “... the present new Sluice or Goat (as they call it) at the end of Hamorebeck, at its fall into Boston Haven, taking up the foundation of the old Goat, they met with the roots of Trees, many of them issuing from their several[…]”

    “[...] the Trent floods, which override the sluices and goats, and which operate at present as a bar to the improvement of the drainage of the commons; and lately, by authority of parliament, a canal has been made in a similar way[…]”

    “[…] For the Sands from the Mouth of the Sluices and Goats would be carried off and the Haven so deep that their Commons and Low Fens will be will be drain'd in wet Seasons, and always be Supplied with fresh water above the Lock for the use and benefit of the Commons.”

11. (abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, slang)Acronym of greatest of all time.

    “Messi is the GOAT of football.”

12. (UK, informal)A member of the "government of all the talents" proposed by British prime minister Gordon Brown.

    “The best talents; of course he was a GOAT.”

    “Lord Jones of Birmingham, aka Digby Jones, the former director general of the CBI, said that in his year in the government as a so-called GOAT (a member of the Government Of All The Talents) he found the civil service to be 'honest, stuffed full of decent people who work hard'.”

    “2011, Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Public Administration Select Committee, Bernard Jenkin, Smaller Government: Report, Together with Formal Minutes One of the problems with the GOATs was that the parliamentary and political role was undersold to them.”

13. (alt-of, alternative)Alternative form of GOAT.
14. (alt-of, alternative)Alternative form of GOAT.

verb

1. (transitive)To allow goats to feed on.

   “Rape and clover has yielded 283 sheep days of pasture, practically dry weather […] For the coming year it is planned to goat this area continuously”

2. (transitive)To scapegoat.

   “John Rocker, meanwhile, was spared from getting goated because he didn't blow a save”

3. (transitive)To isolate (an opposing blocker) behind one's own blockers, so as to slow down the pack.

name

1. The constellation and zodiacal sign Capricornus.

   “The Balance shows redemption’s need; The Scorpion wounds He must endure; The Archer tells His coming sure; The Goat, His death in sacrifice[.]”

   “Now, if you went down into the forest where the spring gum-tips gleam gold and ruby in whatever sunshine, Heaven thinks fit to apportion at this season to residents of the Dandenongs (who surely were all born Aquarians) what sign of the Zodiac would you expect to meet? Not Leo the Lion or Capricornus the Goat, though the Italians keep a few Capricorns for cheeses but chain them up. The goats I mean.”

   “But although the Divine Egg had disappeared in a clap of thunder, he still had the Sign of the Goat.”

2. The eighth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar.