Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1800-1900
Origin: Partly from gooney 'stupid person' (16-19 centuries); partly from Alice the Goon, character invented by the U.S. cartoonist E. C. Segar

goon

 noun
     
goon [countable] informal
1 especially British English a silly or stupid person
2 especially American EnglishDC a violent criminal who is paid to frighten or attack people
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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