prick
To pierce or puncture slightlyTo pierce or puncture slightly.
» I pricked my thumb with a needle.
Ich habe mich mit der Nadel in den Daumen gestochen.
Я уколол себе большой палец иглой.
Я уколол большой палец иголкой.
Я уколол иголкой большой палец.
Meaning
18 senses(transitive)To pierce or puncture slightly.
John hardly felt the needle prick his arm when the adept nurse drew blood.
To pierce or puncture slightly.
(transitive)To drive a nail into (a horse's foot), so as to cause lameness.
(transitive)To shoot without killing.
(transitive)To form by piercing or puncturing.
to prick holes in paper
to prick a pattern for embroidery
(transitive)To mark the surface of (something) with pricks or dots; especially, to trace a ship’s course on (a chart).
To fix by the point; to attach or hang by puncturing.
(dated, intransitive)To be punctured; to suffer or feel a sharp pain, as by puncture.
A sore finger pricks.
to cause a sharp emotional pain
(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.
The dog's ears pricked up at the sound of a whistle.
Usually in the form prick out: to plant (seeds or seedlings) in holes made in soil at regular intervals.
(transitive)To incite, stimulate, goad.
To affect with sharp pain; to sting, as with remorse.
deliver a sting to
(transitive)To make acidic or pungent.
Examples
43 sentencesI pricked my thumb with a needle.
ruЯ уколол себе большой палец иглой.
deIch habe mich mit der Nadel in den Daumen gestochen.
Tom pricked the balloon with a pin.
ruТом проколол шарик булавкой.
Tom pricked his finger with a needle.
deTom hat sich mit einer Nadel in den Finger gestochen.
I pricked my finger with a needle.
She pricked herself with a needle while embroidering.
ruОна укололась иголкой во время вышивания.
deBeim Sticken stach sie sich mit einer Nadel.
Translations
4 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
From Middle English prikken, from Old English prician, priccan (“to prick”), from Proto-GeFrom Middle English prikken, from Old English prician, priccan (“to prick”), from Proto-Germanic *prikōną, *prikjaną (“to pierce, prick”), of uncertain origin; perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *breyǵ- (“to scrape, scratch, rub, prickle, chap”). Cognate with dialectal English pritch, Dutch prikken (“to prick, sting”), Middle High German pfrecken (“to prick”), Swedish pricka (“to dot, prick”), and possibly to Lithuanian įbrėžti (“to scrape, scratch, carve, inscribe, strike”).
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Forms
pricks, pricking, pricked, prickedPhrasal verbs
2 phrasal verbsSynonyms
7 synonymsWord family
7 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle