prod
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to push someone or something with your finger or a pointed object.
v.to poke or jab with a finger, foot, or a pointed instrument.
Simple“She prodded the cake with a toothpick to see if it was finished baking.”
In context“The child prodded the strange insect with a stick, curious to see if it would move or fly away.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to try to make someone do something, especially when they are being slow.
v.to stimulate or prompt someone into action, typically through persistent reminders or persuasion.
Simple“I had to prod my brother several times before he finally cleaned his room.”
In context“The manager had to prod the design team to meet the deadline, as they were falling behind schedule due to minor revisions.”
Antonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a quick push with a finger or a pointed object.
n.an act of poking or jabbing; a physical stimulus intended to get attention.
Simple“He gave me a sharp prod in the ribs to stop me from laughing.”
In context“A firm prod from the shepherd's staff was enough to get the stubborn sheep moving through the gate.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
n.the live version of a website or software that real users see.
n.a clipping of 'production'; refers to the live environment where software is deployed for end-users.
Simple“We shouldn't test new features in prod because it might crash the site.”
In context“The senior engineer warned the juniors never to push unverified code directly to prod during peak traffic hours.”
Synonymsproductionlive environment - 05 C2 Proficiency
n.an insulting word for a Protestant person.
n.a derogatory term for a Protestant, primarily used in Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland.
Simple“He was shouted at with a nasty slur, being called a prod by the angry crowd.”
In context“The use of the term 'prod' in sectarian chants remains a significant issue in certain football rivalries in Glasgow.”
Teacher's tipThis is a highly offensive sectarian slur in the UK and Ireland; learners should recognize it but never use it.
“The Frenchman scored twice and the first, a little prod with the outside of his left foot after a mazy run, left you wondering if you have seen something like it before.”
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.
Shortened from production.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.