goal

[gohl] /goʊl/
noun
1.
the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end.
2.
the terminal point in a race.
3.
a pole, line, or other marker by which such a point is indicated.
4.
an area, basket, cage, or other object or structure toward or into which players of various games attempt to throw, carry, kick, hit, or drive a ball, puck, etc., to score a point or points.
5.
the act of throwing, carrying, kicking, driving, etc., a ball or puck into such an area or object.
6.
the score made by this act.
Origin
1275-1325; Middle English gol boundary, limit; compare Old English gǣlan to hinder, impede
Related forms
goalless, adjective
subgoal, noun
Synonyms
1. target; purpose, object, objective, intent, intention. 2. finish.
Examples from the web for goal
  • How they achieve those goals, what to tax and what to cut, should be no one else's business.
  • Setting your mind on a goal may be counterproductive.
  • The center's near-term goal is to make cheetahs self-sustaining in captivity.
  • Then Kenny scores an impressive goal and quickly begins to love the game.
  • The goal was to create a destination at the end of an adventure, he says.
  • Having clear goals in each of your life roles is essential to establishing some sort of equilibrium.
  • The goal is to create a healthier, more energy-efficient cooking apparatus that these villagers will accept and use.
  • To keep ants from reaching their goal, encircle tree trunks with sticky bands for several weeks.
  • Chicago has set itself the lofty goal of becoming the greenest city in America.
  • While officially nonpartisan, Western organizations make no secret of their allegiances and goals, he shows.
British Dictionary definitions for goal

goal

/ɡəʊl/
noun
1.
the aim or object towards which an endeavour is directed
2.
the terminal point of a journey or race
3.
(in various sports) the net, basket, etc into or over which players try to propel the ball, puck, etc, to score
4.
(sport)
  1. a successful attempt at scoring
  2. the score so made
5.
(in soccer, hockey, etc) the position of goalkeeper
Derived Forms
goalless, adjective
Word Origin
C16: perhaps related to Middle English gol boundary, Old English gǣlan to hinder, impede
Word Origin and History for goal
n.

1530s, "end point of a race," of uncertain origin. The noun gol appears once before this, in a poem from early 14c. and with an apparent sense of "boundary, limit." Perhaps from Old English *gal "obstacle, barrier," a word implied by gælan "to hinder." Or from Old French gaule "a pole," from Germanic; or a figurative use of Middle English gale "a way, course." Sports sense of "place where the ball is put to score" is attested from 1540s. Figurative sense of "object of an effort" is from 1540s.

Slang definitions & phrases for goal

goal

Related Terms

knock someone for a loop


goal in Technology

programming
In logic programming, a predicate applied to its arguments which the system attempts to prove by matching it against the clauses of the program. A goal may fail or it may succeed in one or more ways.
(1997-07-14)