goosefoot
|goose-foot|
/ˈɡuːs.fʊt/
shaped like a goose's foot
Etymology
'goosefoot' is a compound of the English words 'goose' and 'foot', formed by combining the nouns 'goose' (a type of bird) and 'foot' (the limb), used to describe a shape resembling a goose's foot.
The word was used in Middle English as the compound 'goose-fot' or 'goose-foot' to denote both the literal foot of a goose and, by analogy, plants or leaves shaped like a goose's foot; it developed into the modern English 'goosefoot'.
Originally it referred literally to the foot of a goose; over time it came to be used metaphorically in botany to name plants or leaf shapes that resemble a goose's foot.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a common name for plants of the genus Chenopodium or related plants (family Amaranthaceae) characterized by leaves that often resemble the shape of a goose's foot; e.g., Chenopodium album (lamb's quarters).
Wild goosefoot grew abundantly in the disturbed soil along the roadside.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a botanical term for a leaf shape that is divided or lobed in a way that resembles a goose's foot (used descriptively).
The botanist described the leaf as having a goosefoot shape.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/28 15:05