pickle
1a cucumber that has been preserved in brine, vinegar, or the like.
Often pickles . any other vegetable, as cauliflower, celery, etc., preserved in vinegar and eaten as a relish.
something preserved in a brine or marinade.
a liquid usually prepared with salt or vinegar for preserving or flavoring fish, meat, vegetables, etc.; brine or marinade.
Metallurgy. an acid or other chemical solution in which metal objects are dipped to remove oxide scale or other adhering substances.
Informal. a troublesome or awkward situation; predicament: I was in a pickle after the check bounced.
Informal. a sour, disagreeable person.
to preserve or steep in brine or other liquid.
to treat with a chemical solution, as for the purpose of cleaning.
to give a pale, streaked finish to (wood) by applying and partly removing paint or by bleaching, as to give an appearance of age.
Slang. to store; prepare for long-range storage: Let's pickle these old cars for a few years.
Origin of pickle
1Other words for pickle
Other definitions for pickle (2 of 2)
a single grain or kernel, as of barley or corn.
a small amount; a little.
Origin of pickle
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use pickle in a sentence
The Cuban sandwich is made with pulled pork shoulder and ham (both from farm hogs, of course), as well as house-made pickles.
Spaghetti for Breakfast?! Not So Crazy at This Idaho Farm Café | Jane & Michael Stern | August 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTTwo all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions—on a sesame seed bun.
Have We Reached ‘Peak Burger’? The Crazy Fetishization of Our Most Basic Comfort Food | Brandon Presser | July 31, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTRhode Island Reds will not eat melon rinds, banana peels, orange skins, pickles, or onions, F.Y.I.
What Did TJ Mean By “Pursuit of Happiness,” Anyway? | P. J. O’Rourke | June 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe $6 item comes with a bun and burger along with cheese, ketchup, pickles, and requires about 10 minutes of cooking time.
Vlasic Pickles is a great brand, but not necessarily a fun brand.
Twinkies Are Coming Back: The Metropoulos Brothers on the Brand | Daniel Gross | April 8, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
The plants grew luxuriantly, reaching a height of three feet, and each bearing nine ears, containing 22 pickles.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry | Thomas AndersonShe goes to market with her father's cook, makes delicious pickles and preserves, and hasn't her equal in mending and darning.'
The Seven Cardinal Sins: Envy and Indolence | Eugne SueThe room smelt of pepper and soap and pickles and cheese, and Howell Gruffydd's guests filled it.
Mushroom Town | Oliver OnionsHe had an ingrowing toe nail, which sometimes made him grouchy and sour, so he was dubbed Pickles.
Bumper, The White Rabbit | George Ethelbert WalshIn addition to walnuts as nuts, they pay handsomely as pickles.
Walnut Growing in Oregon | Various
British Dictionary definitions for pickle
/ (ˈpɪkəl) /
(often plural) vegetables, such as cauliflowers, onions, etc, preserved in vinegar, brine, etc
any food preserved in this way
a liquid or marinade, such as spiced vinegar, for preserving vegetables, meat, fish, etc
mainly US and Canadian a cucumber that has been preserved and flavoured in a pickling solution, such as brine or vinegar
informal an awkward or difficult situation: to be in a pickle
British informal a mischievous child
to preserve in a pickling liquid
to immerse (a metallic object) in a liquid, such as an acid, to remove surface scale
Origin of pickle
1Derived forms of pickle
- pickler, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with pickle
see in a fix (pickle).
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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