cattle prod

American  

noun

1. a rod-shaped, usually electrified device designed for prodding or driving livestock, especially cattle.

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cattle prod British  

noun

1. a hand-held electrified rod with low voltage used to control cattle

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Example Sentences

In the ’80s and ’90s, there always seemed to be somebody behind us with a cattle prod telling us what to do.

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2024

The messages started on her Twitter account, some accusing her of using a "cattle prod" to goad her father into walking.

From BBC • Oct. 13, 2023

“We expected that eye contact worked like a cattle prod to get two people back onto the same wavelength,” Wohltjen says.

From Scientific American • Sep. 21, 2021

“They make it seem like I’m up here with a cattle prod and it’s not like that,” he said.

From New York Times • May 6, 2021

Moira got hold of her cattle prod and her whistle, ordering Aunt Elizabeth to unclip them from her belt.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood