From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishprodprod1 /prɒd $ prɑːd/ verb (prodded, prodding) [intransitive, transitive] 1 PUSHto quickly push something or someone with your finger or a pointed object SYN poke ‘Don’t go to sleep, ’ she said, prodding me in the ribs.prod at Theo prodded at the dead snake.2 PERSUADEto make someone do something by persuading or reminding them that it is necessary, especially when they are lazy or unwillingprod somebody into (doing) something It had prodded Ben into doing something about it. The strike may prod the government into action. —prodding noun [uncountable] He’s a bright kid, but he needs prodding.→ See Verb table
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.prodprod2 noun [countable usually singular] 1 PUSH especially British English a quick pushing movement, using your finger or a pointed object SYN poke ‘Go on, ’ he whispered, giving me a prod in the back.2 REMIND/MAKE somebody REMEMBER British English when you persuade or remind someone to do something Why don’t you ring the shop and give them a prod?3 TZa pointed instrument used for pushing animals, to make them move a cattle prodExamples 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” 