goats

goats · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    Plural of goat; hardy domesticated ruminant mammals with backward-curving horns, raised for milk, meat, and wool.

  2. 2.

    (informal) People who are blamed for failures or mistakes; scapegoats.

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    get someone's goat — To irritate or annoy someone
  • •
    separate the sheep from the goats — To distinguish good from bad

Related words

See also: goat, livestock, scapegoat, sheep
Synonyms: billies (male goats), kids (young goats), nannies (female goats)

Etymology

From Old English gat ("goat"), from Proto-Germanic gaits. The plural form follows regular English pluralization rules.