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prodding

[ prod-ing ]
/ ˈprɒd ɪŋ /
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noun
the act of poking or jabbing with or as if with something pointed: Finally, after five minutes and some prodding with a stick, the cow moved out of the road.
the act of trying to incite someone to action, as if by poking; nagging or urging: The National Research Council finally succeeded in its assigned mission—albeit with some prodding from a public interest group and the courts.
adjective
poking, urging, or nagging: It wasn’t until two days later, under the prodding questions of close relatives, that she revealed the true source of the ring.
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Origin of prodding

prod + -ing1 for the noun senses; prod + -ing2 for the adjective sense
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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