goad
pronunciation
How to pronounce goad in British English:
UK [gəʊd]
How to pronounce goad in American English:
US [goʊd]
-
- Noun:
- a pointed instrument used to prod into motion
- a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something
-
- Verb:
- give heart or courage to
- urge with or as if with a goad
- prod or urge as if with a log stick
- goad or provoke,as by constant criticism
Word Origin
- goad
- goad: [OE] Goad comes via prehistoric Germanic *gaidō from an Indo-European base *ghai-. This also produced an Old English word for ‘spear’, gār, which survives today in garlic [OE], etymologically ‘spear leek’.=> garlic
- goad (n.)
- Old English gad "point, spearhead, arrowhead, pointed stick used for driving cattle," from Proto-Germanic *gaido "goad, spear" (cognates: Lombardic gaida "spear"), from suffixed form of PIE root *ghei- (1) "to propel, prick" (cognates: Sanskrit hetih "missile, projectile," himsati "he injures;" Avestan zaena- "weapon;" Greek khaios "shepherd's staff;" Old English gar "spear;" Old Irish gae "spear"). Figurative use "anything that urges or stimulates" is since 16c., probably from the Bible.
- goad (v.)
- 1570s, from goad (n.); earliest use is figurative, "incite, stimulate, instigate." Literal use by 1610s. Related: Goaded; goading.
Example
- 1. Urge with or as if with a goad .
- 2. Perhaps this is just a bluff , to goad mr obama into further sanctions , or make him take the military action he plainly wants to avoid .
- 3. Liberals will try to goad incoming leaders into making their views clear .
- 4. The writer said he needed some goad because he was indolent .
- 5. You 're trying to goad me into revealing information .