Meanings
noungoat file (plural goat files)
plural goat files
- computer securityAn executable file with a known structure and/or file size, designed to be infected by a file-infecting computer virus in order to facilitate the study of such.
Origin
Named thus because the file acts as a "sacrificial goat".
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
goat file. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/goat%20file
MLA
“goat file.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/goat%20file. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “goat file,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/goat%20file.
Source: goat file on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.