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wild-goose chase

 
Dictionary: wild-goose chase
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(wīld'gūs')
n.
A futile pursuit or search.


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Idioms: wild goose chase
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Home > Library > Literature & Language > Idioms

A futile search or pursuit, as in I think she sent us on a wild goose chase looking for their beach house. This idiom originally referred to a form of 16th-century horseracing requiring riders to follow a leader in a particular formation (presumably resembling a flock of geese in flight). Its figurative use dates from about 1600.

WordNet: wild-goose chase
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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: the fruitless pursuit of something unattainable

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.  Read more