goose

goose — noun

1. a fairly big bird that lives near water and has webbed feet and a slightly curve

1.名詞B1
釋義

a fairly big bird that lives near water and has webbed feet and a slightly curved long neck; also the meat of this bird when cooked and eaten.

例句

Every autumn, Sari watches V-shaped flocks of wild geese honking loudly as they fly south across the vast lake.

plural form: geese; collocation: flock of geese

The farmer raised over twenty geese on his small farm near the river.

同義詞
  • gander

    specifically an adult male goose

  • waterfowl

    broader term covering all water birds including geese, ducks, and swans

  • duck

    a smaller water bird with a shorter neck, often confused with goose

文法句型

a goose / the goose / geese (plural)

goose (as uncountable meat)

用法筆記

The irregular plural is geese, not gooses. When referring to the meat (uncountable), there is no plural form: 'We had goose for dinner.'

常見錯誤

I saw three gooses on the pond.
I saw three geese on the pond.
💡goose has an irregular plural form: geese.

2. a person who behaves in a foolish or silly way, often in a harmless or amusing m

2.名詞B2
釋義

a person who behaves in a foolish or silly way, often in a harmless or amusing manner.

例句

Reuben felt like a complete goose after locking his keys inside the car.

"feel like a goose" = feel foolish

Don't be such a goose — the train always stops at the main station.

同義詞
  • fool

    stronger and more critical than goose

  • simpleton

    older or more literary; suggests a lack of intelligence

  • silly

    adjective form, less specific

反義詞
  • genius

    someone very intelligent, the opposite of a fool

文法句型

a goose (referring to a person)

用法筆記

This sense is mild and often affectionate — calling someone a goose is less harsh than calling them a fool or an idiot. Frequently used in the fixed phrase 'silly goose.'

常見錯誤

Stop acting like a goose!' (when the listener thinks of the bird)
Stop acting like a goose!' (context makes clear this means 'don't be silly')
💡context determines whether goose means the bird or a silly person.

goose — verb