I. ˈgüs noun
( plural geese ˈgēs ; see senses 4 and 5 )
Etymology: Middle English goos, gos, from Old English gōs; akin to Old High German gans goose, Old Norse gās, Latin anser, Greek chēn, Sanskrit haṁsa
1.
a. : any of numerous birds constituting a distinct subfamily of Anatidae, being in many respects intermediate between the swans and ducks, having a high somewhat compressed bill, legs of moderate length, completely feathered lores, and reticulate tarsi, and being usually larger and longer-necked than ducks ; especially : a member of any of the several breeds developed in domestication for their flesh and feathers — see barnacle goose , brant , snow goose
b. : a female goose as distinguished from a gander
c. : the flesh of a goose used for food
2. : a silly person : simpleton
such a goose I have seldom seen — Rachel Henning
3.
a. : an obsolete game played with counters on a board
b. : keno goose
4. plural gooses : a tailor's smoothing iron with a gooseneck handle
5. plural gooses : an instance of goosing ; specifically : a poke between buttocks
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: probably so called from the fancied resemblance of an upturned thumb to the outstretched neck of a goose
1. : to poke or dig (a person) in some sensitive spot ; especially : to poke (a person) between buttocks with an upward thrust of a finger or hand from the rear
2. : to feed gasoline to (an engine) in spurts
III. transitive verb
: to increase the activity, speed, power, amount, or intensity of : spur
hired to goose production in a factory
the bellows that the pioneers used … to goose recalcitrant fires — John Jobson