1. A pointed stick or rod which is used to make animals move forward: The shepherd rarely had to use a goad on his sheep because his dogs were trained to make sure the animals moved where he wanted them to go.
2. Anything that urges, or forces, people to respond: The threat of some kind of legal action is a strong goad for companies to follow government regulations.

1. To urge or to force someone to do something: Andre was goaded on to complete his military assignment as a sense of duty.
2. Etymology: from Old English gad of Germanic origin, "spearhead" or a "spiked or sharp pointed stick which was used to drive cattle, sheep, etc.; however, people can be poked or provoked into doing something with words, too; for example, a parent can goad a child into washing his or her hands before coming to the dinner table. © ALL rights are reserved.

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To impel or to insist that a person to do something or to strongly urge him or her to continue striving to achieve an objective. (1)