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goon - What does it mean?

Definition of 'goon'

English

Etymology 1

Shortened from (gooney), from obsolete gony'' ("simpleton", circa 1580), of unknown origin. ''Gony was applied by sailors to the albatross and similar big, clumsy birds (circa 1839). Goon first carried the meaning "stupid person" (circa 1921). * The meaning of "hired thug" (circa 1938) is largely influenced by the comic strip character series. * The "fool" sense was reinforced by the popular radio program, .

Noun

(en-noun)
  • A thug; a usually muscular henchman with little intelligence (also known as a 'hired goon').
  • A fool; someone considered silly, stupid, awkward, or outlandish.
  • * {{quote-book|year=1963|author=(Margery Allingham)|title=(The China Governess)
    • |chapter=5 citation |passage=Mr. Campion appeared suitably impressed and she warmed to him. He was very easy to talk to with those long clown lines in his pale face, a natural goon , born rather too early she suspected.}}
  • (ice hockey|pejorative)  An enforcer or fighter.
    • Derived terms
    * goony * goon squad
    See also
    * goonie * gooney * gooney bird

    Etymology 2

    Diminutive slang for flagon.

    Noun

    (-)
  • (Australia|countable|informal) A wine flagon or cask.
  • * 2009 , , Will It Be Funny Tomorrow, Billy?: Misadventures in Music , page 11,
    • We drank goons of cheap wine.
  • (Australia|uncountable|informal) Cheap or inferior cask wine.
  • * 2010 , , The Mary Smokes Boys , unnumbered page,
    • ‘On the night of our school graduation he stole a flagon of goon wine and disappeared into the woods. The police found him the next day asleep on the creek.’
  • * 2010 , Jason Leung, This All Encompassing Trip: Chasing Pearl Jam Around the World , page 384,
    • With these instructions, we take turns sipping the wine directly from the bottle on the beach. It?s not the classiest thing to do but the fact that it?s in a bottle already makes it classier than all the boxes of goon we?ve consumed this trip.
  • * 2011 , E.C. McSween, et al., Boganomics: The Science of Things Bogans Like , unnumbered page,
    • Red wine was consumed largely by posh folk, white wine meant goon , mention of a Jägerbomb would have sent its father ducking for cover, and ‘sex on the beach’ meant just that.
    Synonyms
    * box wine * cask wine

    Anagrams

    * Australian English ----

    Similar to 'goon'

    gun, gain, gown, gin, gan, gen, gaon, gean, gon, geon, gowan, guan, giuen, goin, gein, ginn, goan, gawn, ghayn