prod
1 Americanverb (used with object)
noun
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the act of prodding; a poke or jab.
-
any of various pointed instruments used as a goad, especially an electrified rod that administers a mild shock.
a cattle prod.
noun
abbreviation
-
produce.
-
produced.
-
producer.
-
product.
-
production.
verb
-
to poke or jab with or as if with a pointed object
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(tr) to rouse or urge to action
noun
-
the act or an instance of prodding
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a sharp or pointed object
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a stimulus or reminder
abbreviation
-
produce
-
produced
-
product
noun
Other Word Forms
- prodder noun
- unprodded adjective
Etymology
Origin of prod1
First recorded in 1525–35; origin uncertain
Origin of Prod2
By shortening; d probably reflects the voicing or flap characteristic of some Ulster accents
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ms. Joselit vividly captures Kaplan’s fervor to fulfill his self-appointed life mission to prod American Jews forward from their 19th-century diaspora ghettoes into the freedoms of 20th-century America.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
Sweden believed one of the Canadians was repeatedly double-touching, giving the stone another little prod with his finger to correct its course during Friday's round robin match.
From Barron's • Feb. 14, 2026
The tax-refund money may prod along both 2026 GDP growth and inflation rates, he noted.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 26, 2026
Unable to move his feet, he could only offer a meek prod at Webster.
From BBC • Jan. 7, 2026
Sometimes she would prod me to try a few more bites.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.