A Goose Is a Bird, a Verb and a Tailor's Iron
A goose is a large waterbird. The word also names an old pressing iron, and English keeps a set of goose idioms.
A goose is a large web-footed waterbird, larger than a duck and smaller than a swan. A tailor's *goose* is a heavy pressing iron, named for its long curved handle, which looked like a goose's neck. That is why an old tailor's workroom might contain several geese and no birds. *Goose bumps* are named from the resemblance to plucked poultry skin, and the reflex that raises them is a leftover from when humans had more body hair.
- A large waterbird. *A wild goose.*
- A tailor's iron. *A tailor's goose.*
- Goose bumps — raised skin. *Goose bumps.*
- Wild goose chase — a futile pursuit. *A wild goose chase.*
- Gander — the male. *A gander.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | goose | One goose. |
| Plural | geese | Ten geese. |
| Male | gander | A gander. |
| Young | gosling | A gosling. |
| Compound | goosebumps | Goosebumps. |
- Geese grazed on the field.Birds.
- It turned into a wild goose chase.Idiom.
- A tailor's goose is a heavy iron.Tools.
Goose idioms
- Wild goose chase — a futile pursuit, used by Shakespeare
- What's good for the goose is good for the gander — one rule for all
- Kill the goose that lays the golden eggs — destroy a source of profit
- Goose bumps — from the resemblance to plucked skin
- Someone's goose is cooked — they are finished
Old English *gos*, from a Germanic root shared with German *Gans*, related to Latin *anser* and Greek *khen*.
Why is a tailor's iron called a goose?
Its long curved handle resembled a goose's neck. The plural in this sense is gooses, not geese.
What causes goose bumps?
A muscle at the base of each hair contracts, raising the hair. It is a leftover reflex from when humans were hairier.