goose egg

a goose egg

1. In a competition or sporting event, a score of zero. Nope, our team put up a goose egg tonight, losing 7-0.

2. A bump on the head, as from hitting it on something. After being hit in the head with a baseball, I bet he'll have a goose egg tonight.

3. A failure or defeat. Now the caterer can't make it! Geez, this party is turning into a real goose egg.

See also: egg, goose

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

goose egg

 

1. Fig. a raised bump on the skull as when one's head has been struck. I walked into the edge of the door and got a terrible goose egg.

2. Fig. in a sports score, zero. At the end of the game there was nothing but goose eggs next to our name.

See also: egg, goose

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

goose egg

Zero, nothing, especially a score of zero. For example, Our team did badly, earning goose egg, or My income from writing this year was goose egg. This expression is an Americanization of the earlier British duck's egg. [Mid-1800s]

See also: egg, goose

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

goose egg

1. n. a score of zero. We got a goose egg in the second inning.

2. n. a bump on the head. I walked into a door and got a big goose egg on my forehead.

3. n. a failure; a zero. (Similar to sense 1) The result of three weeks’ planning is one big goose egg.

See also: egg, goose

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.