bogey
bogey Lexical Profile
bogey Game Scores & Validity
• noun
In golf, a score of one stroke over par on a hole.
"She missed the short putt and had to settle for a bogey on the final hole."
An evil or mischievous spirit, goblin, or phantom; by extension, something that causes fear, dread, or constant annoyance.
"Inflation remained the primary economic bogey haunting policymakers throughout the decade."
In military aviation, an unidentified or hostile aircraft detected visually or by radar.
"The radar operator reported an unidentified bogey approaching from the northeast."
British A piece of dried nasal mucus.
"The little boy wiped his nose with a tissue to get rid of a bogey."
• verb
To score one stroke over par on a hole in golf.
"After hitting his tee shot into the bunker, he bogeyed the par-four seventh hole."
Word Nuance & Usage
Also spelled 'bogy' or 'bogie', though 'bogie' is the standard spelling for a wheeled railway undercarriage.
• Rhymes for bogey
Word Origin & Etymology
Originating in the early 19th century as a nickname for the devil or a goblin, likely derived from the older dialect word 'bogle' or 'bug' (meaning a ghost or hobgoblin). The golf sense arose in the 1890s from a popular music-hall song about the elusive 'Bogey Man,' whom golfers playfully imagined as an opponent setting the benchmark score for each hole.