goal

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun The object toward which an endeavor is directed; an end. synonym: intention.
• noun A structure or area into which players endeavor to propel a ball or puck in order to score points.
• noun A play or shot that sends a ball or puck into or through the goal.
• noun The score awarded for such an act.
• noun The finish line of a race.
• noun A noun or noun phrase referring to the place to which something moves.

from The Century Dictionary.

• An erroneous spelling of gaol (now commonly jail), often found in books of the seventeenth century.
• noun In astronomy, the point on the celestial sphere toward which the motion of a body is directed; thus, the earth's goal at any moment is a point on the ecliptic about 90 degrees west of the sun.
• noun A pole, post, or other object set up to mark the point determined for the end of a race, or for both its beginning and end, whether in one course or several courses; a mark or point to be reached in a race or other contest; the limit of a race.
• noun In athletic games and plays, the mark, point, or line toward which effort is directed.
• noun Hence—3. In foot-ball, etc., the act of throwing or kicking the ball through or over the goal: as, to make a goal.
• noun 4. The end or termination; the finish.
• noun The end or final purpose; the end to which a design or a course of action tends, or which a person aims to reach or accomplish.
• noun A barrow or tumulus.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• noun 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.
• noun The final purpose or aim; the end to which a design tends, or which a person aims to reach or attain.
• noun A base, station, or bound used in various games as the point or object which a team must reach in order to score points; in certain games, the point which the ball or puck must pass in order for points to be scored. In football, it is a line between two posts across which the ball must pass in order to score points; in soccer or ice hockey, it is a net at each end of the soccer field into which the soccer ball or hocjey puck must be propelled; in basketball, it is the basket{7} suspended from the backboard, through which the basketball must pass.
• noun (Sport) The act or instance of propelling the ball or puck into or through the goal{3}, thus scoring points.
• noun (Sport) the player charged with the defense of the goal, such as in soccer or ice hockey.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun A result that one is attempting to achieve.
• noun In many sports, an area into which the players attempt to put an object.
• noun The act of placing the object into the goal.
• noun A point scored in a game as a result of placing the object into the goal.
• noun A noun or noun phrase that receives the action of a verb. The subject of a passive verb or the direct object of an active verb. Also called a patient, target, or undergoer.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun a successful attempt at scoring
• noun the place designated as the end (as of a race or journey)
• noun the state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve and that (when achieved) terminates behavior intended to achieve it
• noun game equipment consisting of the place toward which players of a game try to advance a ball or puck in order to score points