prick

[ prik ]

noun

1. a puncture made by a needle, thorn, or the like.
2. a sharp point; prickle.
3. the act of pricking:

   the prick of a needle.

4. the state or sensation of being pricked.
5. a sharp pain caused by or as if by being pricked; twinge.
6. the pointed end of a prickspur.
7. Slang: Vulgar.
   1. penis.
   2. an obnoxious or contemptible person.
8. Archaic. a goad for oxen.
9. Obsolete. a small or minute mark, a dot, or a point.
10. Obsolete. any pointed instrument or weapon.

verb (used with object)

1. to pierce with a sharp point; puncture.
2. to affect with sharp pain, as from piercing.
3. to cause sharp mental pain to; sting, as with remorse, anger, etc.:

   His conscience pricked him.

4. to urge on with or as if with a goad or spur:

   My duty pricks me on.

5. to mark (a surface) with pricks or dots in tracing something.
6. to mark or trace (something) on a surface by pricks or dots.
7. to cause to stand erect or point upward (usually followed by up ):

   The dog pricked his ears at the sound of the bell.

8. Farriery.
   1. to lame (a horse) by driving a nail improperly into its hoof.
   2. to nick:

      to prick a horse's tail.

9. to measure (distance, the size of an area, etc.) on a chart with dividers (usually followed by off ).
10. Horticulture. to transplant (a seedling) into a container that provides more room for growth (usually followed by out or off ).

verb (used without object)

1. to perform the action of piercing or puncturing something.
2. to have a sensation of being pricked.
3. to spur or urge a horse on; ride rapidly.
4. to rise erect or point upward, as the ears of an animal (usually followed by up ).

prick

/ prɪk /

verb

1. 1. to make (a small hole) in (something) by piercing lightly with a sharp point
   2. to wound in this manner
2. intr to cause or have a piercing or stinging sensation
3. to cause to feel a sharp emotional pain

   knowledge of such poverty pricked his conscience

4. to puncture or pierce
5. to mark, delineate, or outline by dots or punctures
6. also intrusually foll byup to rise or raise erect; point

   the dog pricked his ears up at his master's call

7. usually foll byout or off to transplant (seedlings) into a larger container
8. often foll by off nautical to measure or trace (a course, distance, etc) on a chart with dividers
9. archaic.
   to rouse or impel; urge on
10. archaic.
    intr to ride fast on horseback; spur a horse on
11. prick up one's ears
    to start to listen attentively; become interested

noun

1. the act of pricking or the condition or sensation of being pricked
2. a mark made by a sharp point; puncture
3. a sharp emotional pain resembling the physical pain caused by being pricked

   a prick of conscience

4. a taboo slang word for penis
5. slang.
   an obnoxious or despicable man
6. an instrument or weapon with a sharp point, such as a thorn, goad, bee sting, etc
7. the footprint or track of an animal, esp a hare
8. obsolete.
   a small mark caused by pricking a surface; dot; point
9. kick against the pricks
   to hurt oneself by struggling against something in vain

Other Words From

• pricker noun
• pricking·ly adverb
• un·pricked adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of prick¹

before 1000; (noun) Middle English prike; Old English prica, price dot, point; (v.) Middle English priken, Old English prician; cognate with Dutch, Low German prik point

Word History and Origins

Origin of prick¹

Old English prica point, puncture; related to Dutch prik, Icelandic prik short stick, Swedish prick point, stick

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. 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.

2. 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

Blood obtained by pricking a baby’s heel was collected on filter paper and tested for phenylketonuria, a rare metabolic condition that, if untreated, causes intellectual disability.

From Scientific American

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.

From Science Daily

The current gold standard test—only conducted in specialized allergy clinics—involves pricking the skin and injecting a small amount of penicillin.

From Scientific American

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.

From Seattle Times

People with Type 1 diabetes use the CGM to monitor their blood glucose levels - or blood sugar - around the clock, meaning they don't have to constantly take blood samples by pricking their fingers for readings.

From BBC

Related Words

• puncture
• slit