prick
verb /prɪk/
/prɪk/
Verb Forms
Idioms | present simple I / you / we / they prick | /prɪk/ /prɪk/ |
| he / she / it pricks | /prɪks/ /prɪks/ |
| past simple pricked | /prɪkt/ /prɪkt/ |
| past participle pricked | /prɪkt/ /prɪkt/ |
| -ing form pricking | /ˈprɪkɪŋ/ /ˈprɪkɪŋ/ |
- [transitive] to make a very small hole in something with a sharp point
- prick something He pricked the balloon and burst it.
- prick something with something Prick holes in the paper with a pin.
- [transitive] prick something (on something) to make a small hole in the skin so that it hurts or blood comes out
- She pricked her finger on a needle.
- [intransitive, transitive] to make somebody feel a slight pain as if they were being pricked
- He felt a pricking sensation in his throat.
- prick something Tears pricked her eyes.
Word OriginOld English pricca (noun), prician (verb), probably of West Germanic origin and related to Low German and Dutch prik (noun), prikken (verb).
Idioms
prick your conscience | your conscience pricks you
- to make you feel guilty about something; to feel guilty about something
- Her conscience pricked her as she lied to her sister.
prick (up) your ears
- (of an animal, especially a horse or dog) to raise the ears
- (also your ears prick up)(of a person) to listen carefully because you have just heard something interesting; to listen out for something you might hear
- Her ears pricked up at the sound of his name.
- I walked along, ears pricked for the slightest noise.