goad
to provoke
TRANSLATION
goad = antreiben, reizen, anstacheln goad (noun) = der Treibstock, der Stachelstock --- GOOGLE INDEX goad: approximately 1,400,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
Mr. Obama has continued to press Congress for further gun restrictions, although sceptics note that if the murder of 20 children failed to GOAD Congress to action, it is unclear what could.
(BBC News)
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Martin Keown famously GOADED Manchester United's Ruud van Nistlerooy after the Dutch striker missed a last-minute penalty against his Arsenal side at Old Trafford in 2003.
(BBC Sports)
(BBC News)
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Martin Keown famously GOADED Manchester United's Ruud van Nistlerooy after the Dutch striker missed a last-minute penalty against his Arsenal side at Old Trafford in 2003.
(BBC Sports)
Did you
know?
goad
verb
- provoke or annoy (someone) so as to stimulate an action or reaction
- drive (an animal) with a spiked stick
noun
- a spiked stick used for driving cattle
(Oxford Dictionaries)
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The figurative sense of "to goad" stems from the noun "goad," a traditional farming implement used to spur or guide livestock, such as oxen pulling a plough. Goads are also used to round up cattle, which is why it is also referred to as a cattle prod.
The use of goads has been documented as far back as Biblical times. Before Israel had its own metal works, farmers relied on Philistines to sharpen their goads and other metal tools like ploughshares, forks and axes.
In an interesting turn of events however, the Book Of Judges says that the Biblical judge Shamgar killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad. It's not clear whether Shamgar goaded one of the Philistines into sharpening the goad before he used it on them.
History is full of drawings and paintings of animals being spurred on by goads and it's these images of prodding reluctant or lazy creatures that have made the goad a useful metaphor for urging or provoking someone into taking action.
The word stems from the Old English "gad" (point, spearhead, arrowhead) by way of the Proto-Germanic (gaido) and is related to the Greek "khaios" (shepherd's staff) as well as the Old English "gar" and Old Irish "gae," both of which meant spear. The figurative sense has been around since the 16th century and likely stems from Bible descriptions.
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SYNONYMS
coerce, hound, prod, provoke, drive, exhort, impel, instigate, needle, press, push, spur, stimulate, urge, whip
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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"I'm not the type of person who can be easily goaded into overreacting."
---
Thanks to Heidi for suggesting today's word!
verb
- provoke or annoy (someone) so as to stimulate an action or reaction
- drive (an animal) with a spiked stick
noun
- a spiked stick used for driving cattle
(Oxford Dictionaries)
---
The figurative sense of "to goad" stems from the noun "goad," a traditional farming implement used to spur or guide livestock, such as oxen pulling a plough. Goads are also used to round up cattle, which is why it is also referred to as a cattle prod.
The use of goads has been documented as far back as Biblical times. Before Israel had its own metal works, farmers relied on Philistines to sharpen their goads and other metal tools like ploughshares, forks and axes.
In an interesting turn of events however, the Book Of Judges says that the Biblical judge Shamgar killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad. It's not clear whether Shamgar goaded one of the Philistines into sharpening the goad before he used it on them.
History is full of drawings and paintings of animals being spurred on by goads and it's these images of prodding reluctant or lazy creatures that have made the goad a useful metaphor for urging or provoking someone into taking action.
The word stems from the Old English "gad" (point, spearhead, arrowhead) by way of the Proto-Germanic (gaido) and is related to the Greek "khaios" (shepherd's staff) as well as the Old English "gar" and Old Irish "gae," both of which meant spear. The figurative sense has been around since the 16th century and likely stems from Bible descriptions.
---
SYNONYMS
coerce, hound, prod, provoke, drive, exhort, impel, instigate, needle, press, push, spur, stimulate, urge, whip
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"I'm not the type of person who can be easily goaded into overreacting."
---
Thanks to Heidi for suggesting today's word!
