goad
[ gohd ]
noun
a stick with a pointed or electrically charged end, for driving cattle, oxen, etc.; prod.
anything that pricks or wounds like such a stick.
something that encourages, urges, or drives; a stimulus.
verb (used with object)
to prick or drive with, or as if with, a goad; prod; incite.
Origin of goad
1before 900; Middle English gode,Old English gād; compare Langobardic gaida spearhead
Other words for goad
Other words from goad
- goad·like, adjective
- un·goad·ed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for goad
goad
/ (ɡəʊd) /
noun
a sharp pointed stick for urging on cattle, etc
anything that acts as a spur or incitement
verb
(tr) to drive with or as if with a goad; spur; incite
Origin of goad
1Old English gād, of Germanic origin, related to Old English gār, Old Norse geirr spear
Derived forms of goad
- goadlike, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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