prick

prick¹ [prık] v

1.) [T]

to make a small hole in something using something sharp

▪ Prick the sausages before you grill them.

prick yourself/prick your finger

(=accidentally make a hole in your skin)

▪ She had pricked her finger on a rose thorn.

2.) [I and T]

if something pricks a part of your body, or if it pricks, you feel small sharp pains

→↑prickle

▪ Angry tears pricked her eyes.

▪ a curious pricking sensation

3.) prick sb's conscience

if something pricks someone's conscience or their conscience pricks them, they feel guilty or ashamed

▪ Her conscience pricked her as she told the lie.

4.) prick (up) its ears

if an animal pricks up its ears, it raises them to listen to a sound

▪ The rabbit stopped suddenly, pricking up its ears.

5.) prick (up) your ears

if you prick up your ears or your ears prick up, you listen carefully because you have heard something interesting

▪ Jay pricked up his ears when I mentioned a vacation.

prick sth out [prick sth<=> out] phr v

to place young plants in soil after you have grown them from seed

prick ²

prick² n

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

1¦(person)¦

2¦(sex organ)¦

3¦(point entering)¦

4¦(emotion)¦

5 prick of conscience

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

[: Old English; Origin: prica]

1.) ¦(PERSON)¦

spoken not polite a very offensive word for a stupid unpleasant man

2.) ¦(SEX ORGAN)¦

informal not polite a ↑penis

3.) ¦(POINT ENTERING)¦

a) a slight pain you get when something sharp goes into your skin

▪ I didn't feel the prick of the needle.

b) BrE an act of pricking something

▪ Give the sausages a prick.

→↑pinprick

4.) ¦(EMOTION)¦

a sudden slight feeling you get when you are unhappy about something

prick of

▪ She felt a prick of resentment when she saw them together.

5.) prick of conscience

an uncomfortable feeling that you have done something wrong