PRICK

prick, pricking

(noun) the act of puncturing with a small point; “he gave the balloon a small prick”

cock, prick, dick, shaft, pecker, tool, putz

(noun) obscene terms for penis

asshole, bastard, cocksucker, dickhead, shit, mother fucker, motherfucker, prick, whoreson, son of a bitch, SOB

(noun) insulting terms of address for people who are stupid or irritating or ridiculous

incision, scratch, prick, slit, dent

(noun) a depression scratched or carved into a surface

goad, prick

(verb) stab or urge on as if with a pointed stick

prickle, prick

(verb) make a small hole into, as with a needle or a thorn; “The nurse pricked my finger to get a small blood sample”

sting, bite, prick

(verb) deliver a sting to; “A bee stung my arm yesterday”

prick

(verb) to cause a sharp emotional pain; “The thought of her unhappiness pricked his conscience”

prickle, prick

(verb) cause a prickling sensation

prick, sting, twinge

(verb) cause a stinging pain; “The needle pricked his skin”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology 1

Noun

prick (plural pricks)

A small hole or perforation, caused by piercing. [from 10th c.]

An indentation or small mark made with a pointed object. [from 10th c.]

(obsolete) A dot or other diacritical mark used in writing; a point. [10th-18th c.]

(obsolete) A tiny particle; a small amount of something; a jot. [10th-18th c.]

A small pointed object. [from 10th c.]

The experience or feeling of being pierced or punctured by a small, sharp object. [from 13th c.]

A feeling of remorse.

(slang, vulgar) The penis. [from 16th c.]

(UK, Australia, US, slang, pejorative) Someone (especially a man or boy) who is unpleasant, rude or annoying. [from 16th c.]

(now, historical) A small roll of yarn or tobacco. [from 17th c.]

The footprint of a hare.

(obsolete) A point or mark on the dial, noting the hour.

(obsolete) The point on a target at which an archer aims; the mark; the pin.

Etymology 2

Verb

prick (third-person singular simple present pricks, present participle pricking, simple past and past participle pricked)

(transitive) To pierce or puncture slightly. [from 11th c.]

(farriery) To drive a nail into (a horse's foot), so as to cause lameness.

(transitive) To form by piercing or puncturing.

(obsolete) To mark or denote by a puncture; to designate by pricking; to choose; to mark.

(transitive, chiefly, nautical) To mark the surface of (something) with pricks or dots; especially, to trace a ship’s course on (a chart). [from 16th c.]

(nautical, obsolete) To run a middle seam through the cloth of a sail.

To fix by the point; to attach or hang by puncturing.

(intransitive, dated) To be punctured; to suffer or feel a sharp pain, as by puncture.

(ambitransitive) To make or become sharp; to erect into a point; to raise, as something pointed; said especially of the ears of an animal, such as a horse or dog; and usually followed by up.

(horticulture) Usually in the form prick out: to plant (seeds or seedlings) in holes made in soil at regular intervals.

(transitive) To incite, stimulate, goad. [from 13th c.]

(intransitive, archaic) To urge one's horse on; to ride quickly. [from 14th c.]

To affect with sharp pain; to sting, as with remorse.

(transitive) To make acidic or pungent.

(intransitive) To become sharp or acid; to turn sour, as wine.

To aim at a point or mark.

(obsolete) Usually as prick up: to dress or adorn; to prink.

Source: Wiktionary


Prick, n. Etym: [AS. prica, pricca, pricu; akin to LG. prick, pricke, D. prik, Dan. prik, prikke, Sw. prick. Cf. Prick, v.]

1. That which pricks, penetrates, or punctures; a sharp and slender thing; a pointed instrument; a goad; a spur, etc.; a point; a skewer. Pins, wooden pricks, nails, sprigs of rosemary. Shak. It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. Acts ix. 5.

2. The act of pricking, or the sensation of being pricked; a sharp, stinging pain; figuratively, remorse. "The pricks of conscience." A. Tucker.

3. A mark made by a pointed instrument; a puncture; a point. Hence: (a) A point or mark on the dial, noting the hour. [Obs.] "The prick of noon." Shak. (b) The point on a target at which an archer aims; the mark; the pin. "They that shooten nearest the prick." Spenser. (c) A mark denoting degree; degree; pitch. [Obs.] "To prick of highest praise forth to advance." Spenser. (d) A mathematical point; -- regularly used in old English translations of Euclid. (e) The footprint of a hare. [Obs.]

4. (Naut.)

Definition: A small roll; as, a prick of spun yarn; a prick of tobacco.

Prick, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pricked; p. pr. & vb. n. Pricking.] Etym: [AS. prician; akin to LG. pricken, D. prikken, Dan. prikke, Sw. pricka. See Prick, n., and cf. Prink, Prig.]

1. To pierce slightly with a sharp-pointed instrument or substance; to make a puncture in, or to make by puncturing; to drive a fine point into; as, to prick one with a pin, needle, etc.; to prick a card; to prick holes in paper.

2. To fix by the point; to attach or hang by puncturing; as, to prick a knife into a board. Sir I. Newton. The cooks prick it [a slice] on a prong of iron. Sandys.

3. To mark or denote by a puncture; to designate by pricking; to choose; to mark; -- sometimes with off. Some who are pricked for sheriffs. Bacon. Let the soldiers for duty be carefully pricked off. Sir W. Scott. Those many, then, shall die: their names are pricked. Shak.

4. To mark the outline of by puncturing; to trace or form by pricking; to mark by punctured dots; as, to prick a pattern for embroidery; to prick the notes of a musical composition. Cowper.

5. To ride or guide with spurs; to spur; to goad; to incite; to urge on; -- sometimes with on, or off. Who pricketh his blind horse over the fallows. Chaucer. The season pricketh every gentle heart. Chaucer. My duty pricks me on to utter that. Shak.

6. To affect with sharp pain; to sting, as with remorse. "I was pricked with some reproof." Tennyson. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart. Acts ii. 37.

7. To make sharp; to erect into a point; to raise, as something pointed; -- said especially of the ears of an animal, as a horse or dog; and usually followed by up; -- hence, to prick up the ears, to listen sharply; to have the attention and interest strongly engaged. "The courser . . . pricks up his ears." Dryden.

8. To render acid or pungent. [Obs.] Hudibras.

9. To dress; to prink; -- usually with up. [Obs.]

10. (Naut) (a) To run a middle seam through, as the cloth of a sail. (b) To trace on a chart, as a ship's course.

11. (Far.) (a) To drive a nail into (a horse's foot), so as to cause lameness. (b) To nick.

Prick, v. i.

1. To be punctured; to suffer or feel a sharp pain, as by puncture; as, a sore finger pricks.

2. To spur onward; to ride on horseback. Milton. A gentle knight was pricking on the plain. Spenser.

3. To become sharp or acid; to turn sour, as wine.

4. To aim at a point or mark. Hawkins.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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