Goathorn

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A hard, curved horn that grows from the head of a goat and is sometimes used to make cups or instruments
2. The pointed, hollow horn growing on a goat's head, which can be shaped into tools or ornaments
3. A curved horn borne by a goat, often used historically to make drinking vessels or musical instruments

Etymology: Goathorn is a plain compound of "goat" and "horn," with no hidden history behind it. Both parts are native English words: "goat" comes from Old English "gāt," and "horn" from Old English "horn," which shares its Germanic ancestry with "cornu," the Latin word for the same body part. The compound is transparent, so its meaning comes straight from its parts: the horn of a goat, or something made from one. Its own history is simply the history of its two components, and the combined form does not appear to have a distinct story of its own.