prick
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to make a very small hole in something with a sharp object like a needle.
v.to pierce or puncture a surface slightly with a sharp, pointed instrument.
Simple“The nurse will prick your finger to get a small drop of blood for the test.”
In context“The tailor had to prick the heavy leather multiple times with an awl before he could pass the waxed thread through.”
UsageOften used with a direct object representing the body part or material being pierced.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.when an animal moves its ears upward to listen carefully.
v.to erect or raise the ears into a pointed position, typically in response to a sound; usually followed by 'up'.
Simple“The dog pricked up its ears when it heard the front door open.”
In context“The horse pricked its ears forward, sensing a movement in the tall grass long before the rider noticed anything.”
UsageCommonly appears in the phrasal form 'prick up'.
- 03 C1 Advanced
v.to move small young plants into bigger pots or holes in the ground.
v.to transplant seedlings into small holes made in soil, typically to give them more room to grow.
Simple“It is time to prick out the tomato seedlings into individual pots.”
In context“After the first true leaves appear, you should carefully prick out the seedlings to prevent overcrowding in the seed tray.”
UsageUsually functions as the phrasal verb 'prick out'.
Synonymstransplantrepot - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a tiny hole made by something sharp, or the quick sting you feel from it.
n.a small perforation or the sharp, transient sensation of being punctured.
Simple“You might feel a slight prick in your arm when the needle goes in.”
In context“The sudden prick of a thorn on her thumb made her drop the rose she was pruning.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
n.a very rude or annoying man.
n.a vulgar pejorative used to describe an unpleasant, arrogant, or contemptible male.
Simple“He was being a real prick at the party, insulting everyone he talked to.”
In context“The manager was widely regarded as a prick due to his habit of belittling subordinates in front of the entire office.”
Teacher's tipThis is a highly offensive term in many contexts; learners should be aware of its strength before using it.
- 06 C2 Proficiency
“Using a standard skin prick device, the team applied protein extracts from each dog to a volunteer's arm and observed any reaction.”
“On Adam, the world’s first disappointing husband: “he couldn’t keep his house in order, the dopey prick.”
From Middle English prik, prikke, from Old English prica, pricu (“a sharp point, minute mark, spot, dot, small portion, prick”), from Proto-West Germanic prikō, priku, from Proto-Germanic prikô, prikō (“a prick, point”), of uncertain origin, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *breyǵ- (“to scrape, scratch, rub, prickle, chap”). Cognate with West Frisian prik (“small hole”), West Frisian prikke (“penis”), Dutch prik (“point, small stick", also "penis”), Danish prik (“dot”), Icelandic prik (“dot, small stick”).
From 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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.