prick-eared

[ prik-eerd ]

adjective

1. having the ears upright and pointed:

   a prick-eared dog.

2. British.
   1. Informal. (of a man) having the hair cut short.
   2. Archaic. following or sympathetic to the Puritans or Roundheads.
   3. Archaic. priggish.

Word History and Origins

Origin of prick-eared¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425

Example Sentences

Prick-eared Esquimaux dogs huddle, sneak, bark, and snarl around, with a free fight now and then, in which they all fall upon the one that is getting the worst of it.

From Project Gutenberg