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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

goal       (gōl)  Pronunciation Key  n.   The purpose toward which an endeavor is directed; an objective. See Synonyms at intention. Sports The finish line of a race. A specified structure or zone into or over which players endeavor to advance a ball or puck. The score awarded for such an act. A noun or noun phrase referring to the place to which something moves. See patient. Linguistics A noun or noun phrase referring to the place to which something moves. See patient. [Middle English gol, boundary, possibly from Old English *gāl, barrier.]

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

pa·tient       (pā'shənt)  Pronunciation Key  adj.   Bearing or enduring pain, difficulty, provocation, or annoyance with calmness. Marked by or exhibiting calm endurance of pain, difficulty, provocation, or annoyance. Tolerant; understanding: an unfailingly patient leader and guide. Persevering; constant: With patient industry, she revived the failing business and made it thrive. Capable of calmly awaiting an outcome or result; not hasty or impulsive. Capable of bearing or enduring pain, difficulty, provocation, or annoyance: "My uncle Toby was a man patient of injuries" (Laurence Sterne). n.   One who receives medical attention, care, or treatment. Linguistics A noun or noun phrase identifying one that is acted upon or undergoes an action. Also called goal. Archaic One who suffers. [Middle English pacient, from Old French, from Latin patiēns, patient-, present participle of patī, to endure; see pē(i)- in Indo-European roots.] pa'tient·ly adv.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
goal 

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

goal
noun
1.	the state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve and that (when achieved) terminates behavior intended to achieve it; "the ends justify the means"
2.	the place designated as the end (as of a race or journey); "a crowd assembled at the finish"; "he was nearly exhausted as their destination came into view" [syn: finish]
3.	game equipment consisting of the place toward which players of a game try to advance a ball or puck in order to score points
4.	a successful attempt at scoring; "the winning goal came with less than a minute left to play"

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing - Cite This Source - Share This

goal 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)

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Goal

Goal\, n. [F. gaule pole, Prov. F. waule, of German origin; cf. Fries. walu staff, stick, rod, Goth. walus, Icel. v["o]lr a round stick; prob. akin to E. wale.]

1. The mark set to bound a race, and to or around which the constestants run, or from which they start to return to it again; the place at which a race or a journey is to end.

Part curb their fiery steeds, or shun the goal With rapid wheels. --Milton.

2. The final purpose or aim; the end to which a design tends, or which a person aims to reach or attain.

Each individual seeks a several goal. --Pope.

3. A base, station, or bound used in various games; in football, a line between two posts across which the ball must pass in order to score; also, the act of kicking the ball over the line between the goal posts.

Goal keeper, the player charged with the defense of the goal.