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prick
[prik]
noun
a puncture made by a needle, thorn, or the like.
a sharp point; prickle.
the act of pricking.
the prick of a needle.
the state or sensation of being pricked.
a sharp pain caused by or as if by being pricked; twinge.
the pointed end of a prickspur.
Slang: Vulgar.Ģż
an obnoxious or contemptible person.
Archaic.Ģża goad for oxen.
Obsolete.Ģża small or minute mark, a dot, or a point.
Obsolete.Ģżany pointed instrument or weapon.
verb (used with object)
to pierce with a sharp point; puncture.
to affect with sharp pain, as from piercing.
to cause sharp mental pain to; sting, as with remorse, anger, etc..
His conscience pricked him.
to urge on with or as if with a goad or spur.
My duty pricks me on.
to mark (a surface) with pricks or dots in tracing something.
to mark or trace (something) on a surface by pricks or dots.
to cause to stand erect or point upward (usually followed byup ).
The dog pricked his ears at the sound of the bell.
Farriery.Ģż
to lame (a horse) by driving a nail improperly into its hoof.
to nick.
to prick a horse's tail.
to measure (distance, the size of an area, etc.) on a chart with dividers (usually followed byoff ).
Horticulture.Ģżto transplant (a seedling) into a container that provides more room for growth (usually followed by out oroff ).
verb (used without object)
to perform the action of piercing or puncturing something.
to have a sensation of being pricked.
to spur or urge a horse on; ride rapidly.
to rise erect or point upward, as the ears of an animal (usually followed byup ).
prick
/ ±č°łÉŖ°ģ /
verb
to make (a small hole) in (something) by piercing lightly with a sharp point
to wound in this manner
(intr) to cause or have a piercing or stinging sensation
to cause to feel a sharp emotional pain
knowledge of such poverty pricked his conscience
to puncture or pierce
to mark, delineate, or outline by dots or punctures
to rise or raise erect; point
the dog pricked his ears up at his master's call
to transplant (seedlings) into a larger container
(often foll by off) nautical to measure or trace (a course, distance, etc) on a chart with dividers
archaicĢżto rouse or impel; urge on
archaicĢż(intr) to ride fast on horseback; spur a horse on
to start to listen attentively; become interested
noun
the act of pricking or the condition or sensation of being pricked
a mark made by a sharp point; puncture
a sharp emotional pain resembling the physical pain caused by being pricked
a prick of conscience
a taboo slang word for penis
slangĢżan obnoxious or despicable man
an instrument or weapon with a sharp point, such as a thorn, goad, bee sting, etc
the footprint or track of an animal, esp a hare
obsoleteĢża small mark caused by pricking a surface; dot; point
to hurt oneself by struggling against something in vain
Other 51³Ō¹Ļ Forms
- pricker noun
- prickingly adverb
- unpricked adjective
51³Ō¹Ļ History and Origins
Origin of prick1
51³Ō¹Ļ History and Origins
Origin of prick1
Idioms and Phrases
kick against the pricks, to resist incontestable facts or authority; protest uselessly.
In appealing the case again, you will just be kicking against the pricks.
prick up one's ears, to become very alert; listen attentively.
The reporter pricked up his ears at the prospect of a scoop.
Example Sentences
It is only then, once you are still, that a now low, whipping wind, riddled with sand begins pricking and abrading your skin and collecting in the pages of your novel; it is intolerable.
Blood obtained by pricking a babyās heel was collected on filter paper and tested for phenylketonuria, a rare metabolic condition that, if untreated, causes intellectual disability.
The researchers found that people carrying three so-called Neanderthal variants in the gene SCN9A, which is implicated in sensory neurons, are more sensitive to pain from skin pricking after prior exposure to mustard oil.
The current gold standard testāonly conducted in specialized allergy clinicsāinvolves pricking the skin and injecting a small amount of penicillin.
District Judge Thomas Ludington is not interfering with the practice of pricking the heels of babies to draw blood to screen for more than 50 diseases, a longstanding procedure in hospitals across the United States.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Ā© Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American HeritageĀ® Idioms Dictionary copyright Ā© 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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