gad

1. interjection /ɡæd/

An exclamatory interjection roughly equivalent to by God, goodness gracious, for goodness sake.

1905 Thats the trouble it was too easy for you you got reckless thought you could turn me inside out, and chuck me in the gutter like an empty purse. But, by gad, that aint playing fair: thats dodging the rules of the game. — Edith Wharton, [ House of Mirth.]

2. verb /ɡæd/

To move from one location to another in an apparently random manner.

This, I suppose, is the virgin who abideth still in the house with you. She is not given, I hope, to gadding overmuch, nor to vain and foolish decorations of her person with ear-rings and finger-rings, and crisping-pins: for such are unprofitable, yea, abominable.

3. noun /ɡæd/

a) A sharp-pointed object; a goad.

Twain finds his voice after a short search for it and when he impels it forward it is a good, strong, steady voice in harness until the driver becomes absent-minded, when it stops to rest, and then the gad must be used to drive it on again.

b) A pointed metal tool for breaking or chiselling rock, especially in mining.

they sette uppon hym and drew oute their swerdys to have slayne hym – but there wolde no swerde byghte on hym more than uppon a gadde of steele, for the Hyghe Lorde which he served, He hym preserved.