Link Centre Dictionary

prod

UK/pɹɒd/ US/pɹɑd/ uncommon informal slang uk
verb (3) noun (2)

verb

1.

to push against gently

  • “She nudged my elbow when she saw her friend enter the restaurant”
Synonyms
2.

urge on; cause to act

  • “They other children egged the boy on, but he did not want to throw the stone through the window”
Synonyms
3.

poke or thrust abruptly

  • “he jabbed his finger into her ribs”
Synonyms

noun

1.

a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something

  • “the ceaseless prodding got on his nerves”
Synonyms
2.

a pointed instrument used to prod into motion

Synonyms

Origin

Alteration of earlier brod (perhaps through influence of poke; compare prog), from Middle English brodden (“to goad, incite, urge; to sprout”), from brod (“goad, nail; shoot, sprout”), from Old Norse broddr (“shaft, spike, thorn”), from Proto-Germanic *bruzdaz. Cognate with Icelandic broddur, Danish brod. Doublet of brad. Or, from or influenced by sound symbolism.

Phrases

  • cattle prod
  • on the prod
  • stock prod

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See also

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.