prick

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the act of puncturing with a small point

   I gave the balloon a small prick.

2. 2
   verb

   make a small hole into, as with a needle or a thorn

   The nurse pricked my finger to get a small blood sample

3. 3
   verb

   to cause a sharp emotional pain

   The thought of your unhappiness pricked my conscience.

4. 4
   verb

   raise, as with attention

   The dog pricked up its ears.

5. 5
   verb

   cause a stinging pain

   The needle pricked their skin.

6. 6
   noun

   A small pointed object.

   Pins, wooden pricks, nails, sprigs of rosemary.

7. 7
   noun

   The experience or feeling of being pierced or punctured by a small, sharp object.

   I felt a sharp prick as the nurse took a sample of blood.

8. 8
   noun

   A feeling of remorse.

   1768–1777, Abraham Tucker, The Light of Nature Pursued the pricks of conscience

Etymology

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”).