Geißbock

German

Alternative forms

Geissbock (Switzerland, Liechtenstein)

Etymology

From Geiß +‎ Bock.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈɡaɪsˌbɔk/
Audio: (file)
Hyphenation: Geiß‧bock

Noun

Geißbock m (strong, genitive Geißbockes or Geißbocks, plural Geißböcke)

billy goat, he-goat
Synonym: Ziegenbock

Usage notes

The word is most common in southern Germany and Austria. Moreover, it is also used – alongside Ziegenbock – in some more northern regions where Geiß itself has become rare (probably because the compound with Bock is more transparent and generally intelligible than the bare word).

Declension

Declension of Geißbock [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Geißbock	die	Geißböcke
genitive	eines	des	Geißbockes, Geißbocks	der	Geißböcke
dative	einem	dem	Geißbock, Geißbocke¹	den	Geißböcken
accusative	einen	den	Geißbock	die	Geißböcke

¹Now rare, see notes.

Synonyms

Bock (includes other species such as sheep)