# goat

/ˈɡoʊt/ (US) · /ɡˈəʊt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/goat
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. the animal

noun · CEFR A1

a farm animal with horns and a beard that is kept for its milk, meat, and wool.

For teachers: a hardy, hollow-horned ruminant mammal of the genus Capra, related to the sheep.

- The farmer kept a small herd of goats for making fresh cheese.
- Wild goats are remarkably agile, capable of navigating precarious mountain ledges that would be inaccessible to most other large mammals.

### 3. person blamed for failure

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal · American English

a person who is blamed for a mistake or a loss, especially in sports.

For teachers: a person who is made to bear the blame for others; a shortened form of 'scapegoat'.

- The goalkeeper was the goat after he let the ball slip through his hands.
- In the high-stakes environment of the playoffs, a single error can turn a star player into the goat overnight.

### 4. astronomy/zodiac

noun · CEFR B2

the sign of Capricorn in the zodiac, often shown as a goat.

For teachers: the constellation or zodiacal sign of Capricornus, traditionally represented as a goat or sea-goat.

- People born in January often have the goat as their zodiac sign.
- The Tropic of Capricorn is named after the constellation of the Goat, marking the southernmost latitude where the sun can be directly overhead.

### 5. to blame someone

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal

to blame one person for a problem that was caused by a group.

For teachers: to cast someone in the role of a scapegoat; to assign total responsibility for a collective failure to one individual.

- The media tried to goat the junior minister for the failed policy.
- The administration attempted to goat the department head to distract the public from systemic failures within the ministry.

## Examples

- The child pointed at the goat in the field.
- At the farm, the farmer showed us his goats and explained their importance.
- In many cultures, goats are revered not only for their utility but also for their symbolic representation of resilience and adaptability.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.