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Added 9 October 2026

prick

/pɹɪk/ noun

In Latin: stimulus Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about prick at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Insulting terms of address for people who are stupid or irritating or ridiculous.
A depression scratched or carved into a surface.
Obscene terms for penis.

verb

Make a small hole into, as with a needle or a thorn.
The nurse pricked my finger to get a small blood sample
Cause a stinging pain.
The needle pricked his skin
Raise.
The dog pricked up his ears

Origin

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 Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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