Cattle Prod
/ˈkætəl prɒd/noun
A handheld device used to urge cattle or other livestock to move, traditionally by delivering an electric shock.
Did you know?The word cattle originally referred broadly to property or wealth, linking it historically to chattel, capital, and the Latin word for “head.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kaput-
“Head; the source of a widespread family of words connected with the head or chief possession.”
Classical Latin
Latin
capitale
“Property, wealth, or possessions; literally something associated with the head or principal amount.”
11th–12th Century
Old North French
catel
“Property or wealth, derived from Latin capitale.”
Middle English
English
catel / cattle
“Property or livestock considered as movable wealth.”
16th Century
English
prod
“A pointed object or stick used to poke or urge; the word’s deeper origin is uncertain.”
19th–20th Century
English
cattle prod
“A device for urging livestock, later commonly referring to an electrically powered one.”