prod

Word family

prod1 /prɒd $ prɑːd/ verb (prodded, prodding) [intransitiveI, transitiveT]

1 PUSHto quickly push something or someone with your finger or a pointed object 〔用手指或尖物〕刺，戳，捅 SYN poke

‘Don’t go to sleep, ’ she said, prodding me in the ribs.

“别睡着。”她边说边捅我的肋骨。

prod at

Theo prodded at the dead snake.

西奥戳了戳那条死蛇。

2 PERSUADEto make someone do something by persuading or reminding them that it is necessary, especially when they are lazy or unwilling 激励；促使，督促

prod somebody into (doing) something

It had prodded Ben into doing something about it.

那件事促使本要做点什么。

The strike may prod the government into action.

那场罢工可能会促使政府采取行动。

—prodding noun [uncountableU]

He’s a bright kid, but he needs prodding.

他是个聪明孩子，但需要督促。

Examples from the Corpus

prod• They walked around him, prodding and pinching him.• But the Senate, prodded by Hatch and Kennedy, took the proposal further.• People gathered round, prodding her for news.• His wife prodded him for years before he began writing his first novel.• The male now carefully monitors the temperature of the mound by prodding his beak into it.• In the second month of the class she began to prod the class toward the intermediate stage.• Léonie prodded the foam with one finger.• And he will prod the party to think twice about shrinking the scope of government.• The surgeon prodded the shivery flesh, searching for the tumour that must be removed.• Sergeant Thompson raised his stick and prodded the soldier in the chest.• So Iverson kept prodding them, pulling them, urging them to show they belong.

prod ... into action• He it was who positioned the cart, supervised his assistant, blindfolded the victims and then prodded the horse into action.

Related topics: Tools

prod2 noun [countableC usually singular]

1 PUSH especially British EnglishBrE a quick pushing movement, using your finger or a pointed object 刺，戳，捅 SYN poke

‘Go on, ’ he whispered, giving me a prod in the back.

“去吧。”他小声说道，捅了一下我的背。

2 REMIND/MAKE somebody REMEMBER British EnglishBrE when you persuade or remind someone to do something 激励；提醒

Why don’t you ring the shop and give them a prod?

你为何不打电话给商店提醒他们一下？

3 TZa pointed instrument used for pushing animals, to make them move 刺戳的工具；刺针；刺棒

a cattle prod

赶牛刺棒

Examples from the Corpus

prod• The new law will serve as a prod to make the airline industry increase their safety measures.• a cattle prod• He stands up and starts threatening Paul with an imaginary cattle prod.• And these, said Perdita, are the cattle prods.• A gentle prod not to be scared was about all that Cosmopolitan could handle.• He gave the dog a quick prod with his foot.• Jerry gave me a sharp prod in the back.• As such it was prod and key to personal achievement and productivity.

cattle prod• I, on the other hand, had backache and climbed it as though a cattle prod were taped to my spine.• She was stripped naked and beaten with a cattle prod before being thrown into a cell full of excrement.• A cattle prod, that would be the thing.• He stands up and starts threatening Paul with an imaginary cattle prod.• And these, said Perdita, are the cattle prods.

Origin prod2

(1500-1600) Perhaps from brod “pointed stick for making an animal go forward” ((14-19 centuries)), probably from Old Norse broddr “spike”

prod1 verbprod2 noun

Chinese

Corpus