bogey

Meanings

Plural: bogeys

Noun

an evil spirit
(golf) a score of one stroke over par on a hole
an unidentified (and possibly enemy) aircraft
A ghost, goblin, or other hostile supernatural creature.
The Devil.
A bugbear: any terrifying thing.
A police officer.
A standard of performance set up as a mark to be aimed at in competition.
An unidentified aircraft, especially as observed as a spot on a radar screen and suspected to be hostile.
Synonym of bandit: an enemy aircraft.
The notional opponent of a golfer playing alone.
A score of one over par on a hole.
Alternative form of booger: a piece of mucus in or removed from the nostril.
A bog-standard (representative) specimen taken from the center of production.
A swim or bathe; a bath.
Alternative spelling of bogie (“one of two sets of wheels under a locomotive or railcar; also, a structure with axles and wheels under a locomotive, railcar, or semi which provides support and reduces vibration for the vehicle”).
Alternative spelling of bogie (“hand-operated truck or trolley”).
Alternative spelling of bogie (“railway carriage”).

Verb

to shoot in one stroke over par
To make a bogey on (a particular hole).
To swim; to bathe.

Origin / Etymology

Probably related to or alteration of bogle, akin to or from a variant of Middle English bugge (“frightening specter, scarecrow”) (whence bug), itself of uncertain origin: perhaps from obsolete Welsh bwg (“ghost, hobgoblin”); compare Welsh bwgwl (“threat”, older “fear”), Irish bagairt (“threat”), but perhaps the root was borrowed from Germanic. Otherwise from Proto-Germanic *bugja- (“swollen up, thick”); compare Norwegian bugge (“big man”), dialectal Low German Bögge and Alemannic German Böögg (“goblin”, “snot”).
See also Proto-Germanic *pūkô (“a goblin, spook”), Old English pūca (“goblin, mischievous spirit”), Icelandic púki Swedish puke (“small devil, spook”), whence obsolete English puck. Perhaps the Middle English and Welsh words come from a word related to buck and originally referred to a goat-shaped specter. Compare also booger.
The golf sense is from the devil as an imaginary player.

Synonyms

Azazel, bandit, bogie, bogy, demon, devil, goblin, imp

Scrabble Score: 11

bogey is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
bogey is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
bogey is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 12

bogey is a valid Words With Friends word