A goad is a pointed stick or prod used to spur or guide livestock, usually oxen, which are pulling a plough or a cart, or to round up cattle. The word is from Middle English gode, from Old English gād. In addition to its use in farming, goads have religious significance and are used as iconographic devices. For example, the Hindu god Ganesha is often depicted holding an elephant goad or ankusha. The biblical passage Judges 3:31 describes Shamgar son of Anath killing six hundred Philistines with an ox goad.
The verb "to goad" means to incite or rouse as if with a goad. It can also mean to touch an animal with the end of a pointed object in order to make it angry or encourage it to do something. Examples of usage include "The threat of legal action should goad them into complying" and "The picador goaded the bull with a spear". The noun "goad" can refer to a stimulus to action, such as an incentive or inducement. Examples of usage include "The threat of legal action is a powerful goad to companies that have ignored the regulations" and "That hurt his sense of patriotic pride and was one of the goads that sent him off around the world".
