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⇱ prick - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

prick

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈprɪk/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/prɪk/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(prik)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
prick /prɪk/USA pronunciation   n. [countable]
  1. Pathologya puncture made by a needle, thorn, or the like.
  2. the act of pricking:He could hardly feel the prick of the needle.
  3. Pathologya sharp pain caused by being pricked;
    twinge.
  4. Slang Terms(vulgar ).
    • penis.
    • a nasty, hateful person.

v. 
  1. Pathology to pierce or make a hole in with a sharp point;
    puncture:[~ + object]I pricked my finger.
  2. Pathologyto (cause to) feel sharp pain, as from piercing: [no object]The thorns prick if you touch them.[~ + object]The thorns pricked her legs.
  3. to cause sharp mental pain to:[~ + object]His conscience pricked him.
  4. Animal Behavior prick up, to (cause to) stand erect or point upward: [~ + up + object]The dog pricked up its ears.[no object]The dog's ears pricked up.
Idioms
  1. Idioms prick up one's ears, to become very alert;
    listen attentively:She pricked up her ears when she overheard the boss talking about her department.


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
prick  (prik),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Pathologya 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. Pathologythe state or sensation of being pricked.
  5. Pathologya sharp pain caused by or as if by being pricked;
    twinge.
  6. the pointed end of a prickspur.
  7. Slang Terms(vulgar).
    • penis.
    • an obnoxious or contemptible person.
  8. [Archaic.]a goad for oxen.
  9. [Obs.]a small or minute mark, a dot, or a point.
  10. [Obs.]any pointed instrument or weapon.
  11. Idioms 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.

v.t. 
  1. Pathologyto pierce with a sharp point;
    puncture.
  2. Pathologyto 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. Animal Behavior, Animal Behaviorto cause to stand erect or point upward (usually fol. by up):The dog pricked his ears at the sound of the bell.
  8. [Farriery.]
    • to lame (a horse) by driving a nail improperly into its hoof.
    • to nick:to prick a horse's tail.
  9. to measure (distance, the size of an area, etc.) on a chart with dividers (usually fol. by off).
  10. Botany[Hort.]to transplant (a seedling) into a container that provides more room for growth (usually fol. by out or off).

v.i. 
  1. Pathologyto 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. Animal Behaviorto rise erect or point upward, as the ears of an animal (usually fol. by up).
  5. Idioms prick up one's ears, to become very alert;
    listen attentively:The reporter pricked up his ears at the prospect of a scoop.
  • bef. 1000; (noun, nominal) Middle English prike; Old English prica, price dot, point; (verb, verbal) Middle English priken, Old English prician; cognate with Dutch, Low German prik point
prick′er, n. 
prick′ing•ly, adv. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
prick /prɪk/ vb (mainly tr)
    • to make (a small hole) in (something) by piercing lightly with a sharp point
    • to wound in this manner
  2. (intransitive) 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 intr) usually followed by up: to rise or raise erect; point: the dog pricked his ears up at his master's call
  7. usually followed by out or off: to transplant (seedlings) into a larger container
  8. archaic to rouse or impel; urge on
  9. prick up one's ears ⇒ to start to listen attentively; become interested
 n
  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. vulgar slang derogatory an obnoxious or despicable man
  5. an instrument or weapon with a sharp point, such as a thorn, goad, bee sting, etc
  6. the footprint or track of an animal, esp a hare
  7. kick against the pricks ⇒ to hurt oneself by struggling against something in vain
Etymology: Old English prica point, puncture; related to Dutch prik, Icelandic prik short stick, Swedish prick point, stick
'prick' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Collocations: give your [finger, arm] a small prick (with a needle), felt a prick on my finger (from), are going to feel a small prick (now), more...

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "prick" in the title:

A day to prick the appetite fully alive
A needle and a fork... prick?? poke??
a prick of the highest order
a spare prick at a wedding
an ambiguous prick in my abdomen
being a prick keeps you handsome
Can I say "ignorant prick" to a girl or is it just for boys?
Didn't your prick ever escape the sixth grade?
jerk vs prick
May your prick and your purse never fail you
mick prick (McPrick)
pick, pict, prick or someting thats sounds this way
Plant's thorny and might prick…
prick
prick / pierce
Prick a needle into a banana
prick appeal
"prick" as a term of endearment
Prick bag
prick forth
Prick my finger/ finger got pricked
prick of artifice
prick off
prick out a poor living
prick test against/to pollen
prick/stick somebody's finger/arm [needle]
she felt the prick of tears = welled up?
sounding like a pushy prick
Stab/prick/prong the potato
stick <vs> prick [verb]
more...

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