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prick up one's ears

 - 4 dictionary results
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prick

  [prik]
Use prick up one's ears in a Sentence
–noun
1. a 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. the state or sensation of being pricked.
5. a sharp pain caused by or as if by being pricked; twinge.
6. the pointed end of a prickspur.
7. Slang: Vulgar.
a. penis.
b. an obnoxious or contemptible person.
8. Archaic. a goad for oxen.
9. Obsolete. a small or minute mark, a dot, or a point.
10. Obsolete. any pointed instrument or weapon.
–verb (used with object)
11. to pierce with a sharp point; puncture.
12. to affect with sharp pain, as from piercing.
13. to cause sharp mental pain to; sting, as with remorse, anger, etc.: His conscience pricked him.
14. to urge on with or as if with a goad or spur: My duty pricks me on.
15. to mark (a surface) with pricks or dots in tracing something.
16. to mark or trace (something) on a surface by pricks or dots.
17. to cause to stand erect or point upward (usually fol. by up): The dog pricked his ears at the sound of the bell.
18. Farriery.
a. to lame (a horse) by driving a nail improperly into its hoof.
b. to nick: to prick a horse's tail.
19. to measure (distance, the size of an area, etc.) on a chart with dividers (usually fol. by off).
20. Horticulture. to transplant (a seedling) into a container that provides more room for growth (usually fol. by out or off).
–verb (used without object)
21. to perform the action of piercing or puncturing something.
22. to have a sensation of being pricked.
23. to spur or urge a horse on; ride rapidly.
24. to rise erect or point upward, as the ears of an animal (usually fol. by up).
—Idioms
25. 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.
26. prick up one's ears, to become very alert; listen attentively: The reporter pricked up his ears at the prospect of a scoop.
Origin:
bef. 1000; (n.) ME prike; OE prica, price dot, point; (v.) ME priken, OE prician; c. D, LG prik point

Related forms:
pricker, noun
prick⋅ing⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Slang Dictionary
prick

  1. n.
    the penis. (Usually objectionable.) : He held his hands over his prick and ran for the bedroom.
  2. n.
    a stupid or obnoxious male. (Usually objectionable.) : You stupid prick! Get out of here!
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

prick 
O.E. prica (n.) "point, puncture, particle;" prician (v.) "to prick," from W.Gmc. *prikojanan (cf. Low Ger. pricken, Du. prikken "to prick"); Dan. prikke "to mark with dots," Swed. pricka "to point, prick, mark with dots" are probably from Low German. Meaning "pointed weapon, dagger" is first attested 1552. Earliest recorded use for "penis" is 1592. My prick was used 16c.-17c. as a term of endearment by "immodest maids" for their boyfriends. As a term of abuse, it is attested from 1929. To prick up one's ears is 1587, originally of animals with pointed ears (prycke-eared, of foxes, is from 1523). To kick against the pricks (Acts ix.5, first in a translation of 1382) is probably from sense of "a goad for oxen" (c.1350).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Idioms & Phrases

prick up one's ears

Listen carefully, pay close attention, as in When she heard them mention her boyfriend she pricked up her ears. This term alludes to horses raising their ears at a sudden noise. [Late 1500s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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