ETYM Old Eng. gos, AS. gôs, pl. gęs; akin to Dutch and German gans, Icel. gâs, Dan. gaas, Swed. gas, Russ. guse. OIr. geiss, Latin anser, for hanser, Greek chen, Skr. hamsa. Related to Gander, Gannet, Ganza, Gosling.
(Irregular plural: geese).
1. Flesh of a goose (domestic or wild).
2. Web-footed long-necked typically gregarious migratory aquatic birds usually larger and less aquatic than ducks.
Aquatic bird of several genera (especially Anser) in the family Anatidae, which also includes ducks and swans. Both genders are similar in appearance: they have short, webbed feet, placed nearer the front of the body than in other members of the order Anatidae, and the beak is slightly hooked. They feed entirely on grass and plants.
The graylag goose Anser anser is the ancestor of domesticated geese. Other species include the Canada goose Branta canadensis, the bean goose A. fabalis, the pink-footed goose A. brachyrhynchus, and the white-fronted goose A. albifrons. The goose builds a nest of grass and twigs on the ground and lays from five to nine eggs, white or cream-colored, according to the species.
1. To poke between the buttocks with an upward thrust
2. To increase the activity, speed, power, intensity, or amount of; spur