goal
UK[ɡəʊl]US[ɡoʊl]
n
The object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.
n
(In sports) a pair of posts linked by a crossbar and often with a net, forming the space into or over which the ball must go to score.
n
An instance of sending the ball into or over this space to score.
Etymology
The origin of the word 'goal' is somewhat obscure. It first appeared in Middle English in the early 16th century, initially meaning a boundary or limit. Its earliest sporting use was in the context of a finishing point in a race. One plausible theory suggests it may derive from an Old English word 'gāl', meaning an obstacle or barrier, which would logically relate to a boundary marker. From this concrete sense of a physical boundary or endpoint, the meaning expanded metaphorically to signify an objective or aim one strives to reach, and was later specifically applied to the scoring structure in games like football and hockey.
Analysis
The word 'goal' is a simplex word of uncertain origin, likely entering Middle English. It is not productively formed from smaller, recognizable morphemes in modern English.
Examples
Her primary goal is to graduate with honors.
The striker kicked the ball into the bottom corner of the goal.
He scored a spectacular goal in the final minute of the game.