What Does “A Trip of Goats” Mean?
“Trip” is one of the older, more traditionally documented English collective nouns specific to goats, appearing in historical word lists alongside other now-archaic terms for livestock groups. Unlike some of the more obscure entries on this site, “trip” has reasonably solid historical footing as a genuine, recognized goat-specific term rather than a general-purpose word borrowed from elsewhere.
Its exact linguistic origin, whether it connects to an old sense of “trip” meaning to move nimbly or skip (goats being notably surefooted, agile climbers on rocky terrain), or comes from some other now-obscure root, isn’t something we can confirm with full confidence. What’s clear is that “trip of goats” has persisted specifically as goat vocabulary through several centuries of English collective-noun lists, distinct from the borrowed terms like “flock” and “herd” that goats share with other livestock.
Example: “A trip of goats picked their way nimbly across the rocky outcrop, barely slowing down.”
Related: Collective Nouns for Mammals · What Is a Group of Goats Called?