prickle

English

The so-called "thorns" of Vachellia species and of roses, are prickles, botanically speaking.

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /pɹɪkəl/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Noun

prickle (plural prickles)

1. A small, sharp pointed object, such as a thorn.
   • 1631, Francis [Bacon], “VI. Century.”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], 3rd edition, London: […] William Rawley; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC:

     The plants that have prickles are, thorns, black and white, briar, rose, lemon-trees, […]

2. (botany) On various plants, such as roses and Vachellia, sharp, hard extensions of the cortex and epidermis, informally called "thorns" in colloquial speech.
3. A tingling sensation of mild discomfort.
4. A kind of willow basket.
   • c. 1623–1624 – 1630s, John Fletcher, Philip Massinger, “The Lovers Progres”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act III, scene ii, page 80:

     If I had but a pottle of Sacke, like a sharp prickle, / To knock my nose against when I am nodding

   • 1851, Henry Mayhew, “Costermongers”, in London Labour and the London Poor:

     The prickle is a brown willow basket, in which walnuts are imported into this country from the Continent; they are about thirty inches deep, and in bulk rather larger than a gallon measure; they are used only by the vendors of walnuts.

5. (UK, obsolete) A sieve of hazelnuts, weighing about fifty pounds.

Usage notes

• Botanically speaking, many plants commonly thought of as having thorns or spines actually have prickles.

Derived terms

• prickle cell
• prickleless
• pricklelike
• prickleback
• prickly

Translations

A small, sharp pointed object, such as a thorn

• Bulgarian: шип (bg) m (šip), бодил (bg) m (bodil), трън (bg) (trǎn)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 芒刺 (zh) (mángcì), 刺 (zh) (cì)

• Czech: trn (cs) m, osten m, bodlina (cs) f
• Danish: pig (da) c
• Dutch: prikkel (nl) m, stekel (nl) m, dorentje n
• Estonian: okas, oga (et)
• Finnish: oka (fi), piikki (fi)
• French: épine (fr) f
• Georgian: ეკალი (eḳali)
• German: Stachel (de) m, Dorn (de) m
• Irish: colg m
• Japanese: とげ (ja) (toge)
• Low German:

  German Low German: Stickel m, Prickel m, Angel (nds) m, Steker m

• Maori: ngita, pūngitangita, pūtangitangi
• Ottoman Turkish: ایكنه (iğne)
• Polish: kolec (pl) m
• Portuguese: ferrão (pt) m
• Romanian: spin (ro) m
• Russian: колю́чка (ru) f (koljúčka), шип (ru) m (šip)
• Scottish Gaelic: dealg f
• Spanish: aguijón (es) m, espina (es), púa (es)
• Vietnamese: gai (vi)

A tingling sensation of mild discomfort

• Bulgarian: пробождане (bg) n (proboždane)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 刺痛 (zh) (cìtòng)

• Czech: brnění (cs) n, svrbění n
• Finnish: pistely (fi)
• Russian: колотьё n (kolotʹjó), пока́лывание (ru) n (pokályvanije)

Verb

prickle (third-person singular simple present prickles, present participle prickling, simple past and past participle prickled)

1. (intransitive) To feel a prickle.
2. (transitive) To cause (someone) to feel a prickle; to prick.
   • 2014, J. S. Eades, Promises and Other Broken Things, page 400:

     Guilt prickled me. It was about to get much worse.

Translations

to feel a prickle

• Russian: испы́тывать (ispýtyvatʹ)/ощуща́ть (oščuščátʹ) покалывание (pokalyvanije)/колотьё (kolotʹjó) (ispýtyvatʹ/oščuščátʹ pokályvanjie/kolotʹjó)

to cause someone to feel a prickle

• Dutch: prikkelen (nl)
• German: prickeln (de)
• Low German:

  German Low German: prickeln

• Russian: коло́ть (ru) impf (kolótʹ), уколо́ть (ru) pf (ukolótʹ)

Anagrams

• pickler

German

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Verb

prickle

1. inflection of prickeln:
   1. first-person singular present
   2. first/third-person singular subjunctive I
   3. singular imperative