Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A long stick with a pointed end used for prodding animals.
  • noun An agent or means of prodding or urging; a stimulus.
  • transitive verb To prod or urge with or as if with a long pointed stick.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A sort of false die.
  • To prick; drive with a goad; hence, to incite; stimulate; instigate; urge forward or rouse to action by any harassing or irritating means.
  • Synonyms To impel, spur, arouse, stir up, set on.
  • noun A stick, rod, or staff with a pointed end, used for driving cattle; hence, anything that urges or stimulates.
  • noun A decoy at an auction; a Peter Funk.
  • noun [Cf. yard, rod, perch, as measures of length.] A little-used English Measure of length.
  • noun A plaything.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To prick; to drive with a goad; hence, to urge forward, or to rouse by anything pungent, severe, irritating, or inflaming; to stimulate.
  • noun A pointed instrument used to urge on a beast; hence, any necessity that urges or stimulates.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A long, pointed stick used to prod animals.
  • verb To prod with a goad.
  • verb To encourage or stimulate.
  • verb To incite or provoke.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb stab or urge on as if with a pointed stick
  • verb urge with or as if with a goad
  • noun a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something
  • verb goad or provoke,as by constant criticism
  • noun a pointed instrument that is used to prod into a state of motion
  • verb give heart or courage to

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English gode, from Old English gād.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Middle English gode, from Old English gād 'spear', from Proto-Germanic *gaidō (compare Old Norse gedda 'pike (fish)', Lombardic gaida 'spear'), from Proto-Indo-European *ghai- (compare Irish gath 'spear', Sanskrit, हिनोति (hinvati, hinoti) 'to urge on, throw', हेति (heti) 'missile, projectile').

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word goad.

Examples

  • Now my goad is the accusatory spines of unread books on my shelves.

    Developing Speed-Reading Skills 2009

  • Shira is also known as goad saanja so this flatbread is called saanjori.

    Archive 2008-06-01 Meera 2008

  • Shira is also known as goad saanja so this flatbread is called saanjori.

    Saanjori Meera 2008

  • "I've seen oxen driven, and the man who drove them didn't use reins as they do on horses, though he did have a goad, which is like a whip."

    Six Little Bunkers at Uncle Fred's Laura Lee Hope

  • The tiger turned its attention from Inza to Elsie, and the latter struck at it, as if the goad were a spear.

    Frank Merriwell's Reward Burt L. Standish 1905

  • The goad was a formidable sharpointed instrument, sometimes ten feet long.

    Easton's Bible Dictionary M.G. Easton 1897

  • But according to CNN San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos was slow to respond and the Humane Society then decided to post the video to "goad" authorities into taking action, Pacelle said.

    Laying Partial Blame On Humane Society For Beef Recall is UTTER Nonsense 2008

  • I know you are either trying to "goad" me...or you are the biggest naive sucker in the history of this universe.

    Venice Beach - The Outlaw Story 2006

  • And, in particular, Sy writing this might kind of goad the administration to actually sit down and come up with a formal Iran policy, which has been one of the problems that we've had for the past six or eight months.

    CNN Transcript Jan 18, 2005 2005

  • The oxen were urged on by a "goad," or long staff pointed at the end, so that if occasion arose it could be used as a spear also

    Easton's Bible Dictionary M.G. Easton 1897

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • Never knew it was a noun. "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It hurts you to kick against the goads." Acts 26:14 NRSV

    September 17, 2012