prickle

[ prik-uhl ]
See synonyms for prickle on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a sharp point.

  2. a small, pointed process growing from the bark of a plant.

  1. a sharp process or projection, as from the skin of an animal; a spine.

  2. a pricking sensation.

verb (used with object),prick·led, prick·ling.
  1. to prick lightly.

  2. to cause a pricking or tingling sensation in.

verb (used without object),prick·led, prick·ling.
  1. to tingle as if pricked.

Origin of prickle

1
before 950; Middle English prykel (noun), Old English pricel.See prick, -le

Other words from prickle

  • un·prick·led, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for prickle

prickle

/ (ˈprɪkəl) /


noun
  1. botany a pointed process arising from the outer layer of a stem, leaf, etc, and containing no woody or conducting tissue: Compare thorn (def. 1)

  2. a pricking or stinging sensation

verb
  1. to feel or cause to feel a stinging sensation

  2. (tr) to prick, as with a thorn

Origin of prickle

1
Old English pricel; related to Middle Low German prekel, German Prickel

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