SKIP TO CONTENT

goatherd

/ˌgoʊtˈhʌrd/
IPA guide

Other forms: goatherds

A goatherd is someone who herds and cares for a group of goats. In India and other parts of South Asia, goatherds raise animals whose wool is used to make cashmere sweaters.

Goatherd comes from the Old English gat-hyrde, or goat herder. Anyone who tends to a herd of goats can call themselves a goatherd, whether they're raising them for their fleecy coats or using their milk to make goat cheese. Herding goats involves moving them from one field or pasture to another, because they're constantly chewing vegetation. Some goatherds corral their goats in areas where invasive plants are a problem: goats are even used to eradicate poison ivy.

Definitions of goatherd
  1. noun
    a person who tends a flock of goats
    synonyms: goat herder
    see moresee less
    type of:
    drover, herder, herdsman
    someone who drives a herd
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘goatherd'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family