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prick

Syllabification: (prick)
Pronunciation: /prik/

Translate prick | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of prick

verb

[with object]
  • 1make a small hole in (something) with a sharp point; pierce slightly:prick the potatoes with a fork
  • [no object] feel a sensation as though a sharp point were sticking into one:she felt her scalp prick and her palms were damp
  • (of tears) cause the sensation of imminent weeping in (a person’s eyes):tears of disappointment were pricking her eyelids
  • [no object] (of a person’s eyes) experience the sensation of imminent weeping.
  • cause mental or emotional discomfort to:her conscience pricked her as she told the lie
  • arouse or provoke to action:the police were pricked into action
  • 2(especially of a horse or dog) make (the ears) stand erect when on the alert:the dog’s tail was wagging and her ears were pricked

noun

  • 1an act of piercing something with a fine, sharp point:the pin prick had produced a drop of blood
  • a small hole or mark made by piercing something with a fine, sharp point.
  • a sharp pain caused by being pierced with a fine point.
  • a sudden feeling of distress, anxiety, or some other unpleasant emotion:she felt a prick of resentment
  • archaic a goad for oxen.
  • 2 vulgar slang a penis.
  • a man regarded as stupid, unpleasant, or contemptible.

Phrases

kick against the pricks

hurt oneself by persisting in useless resistance or protest.
[with biblical allusion to Acts 9:5]

prick up one's ears

(especially of a horse or dog) make the ears stand erect when on the alert.
(of a person) become suddenly attentive:he pricked up his ears when he heard them talking about him

Phrasal Verbs

prick something out (or off)

transplant seedlings to a container or bed that provides adequate room for growth:he was in the garden pricking out marigolds

Derivatives

pricker

noun

pricking

noun

Origin:

Old English pricca (noun), prician (verb), probably of West Germanic origin and related to Low German and Dutch prik (noun), prikken (verb)

prick in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of prick in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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