Definition of: goal

(gōl) noun
1. A point toward which effort or movement is directed; the objective point or terminus that one is striving to reach; the end aimed at: the goal of one's ambition.
2. In any game, race, contest, or competition, a mark, line, post, pole, or the like, made or set up to indicate the limit, winning point, or safety place of the game; in football, a pair of upright posts, goal posts, with a crosspiece over which the players strive to kick the ball.
3. In football and similar games, the act of propelling the ball over or past the goal, so as to win a point; also, the point so won. See synonyms under AIM, END. [ME gol; origin uncertain]