PRICK

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does prick mean? 

• PRICK (noun)
  The noun PRICK has 4 senses:

1. insulting terms of address for people who are stupid or irritating or ridiculous

2. a depression scratched or carved into a surface

3. obscene terms for penis

4. the act of puncturing with a small point

  Familiarity information: PRICK used as a noun is uncommon.

• PRICK (verb)
  The verb PRICK has 7 senses:

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

2. cause a stinging pain

3. raise

4. stab or urge on as if with a pointed stick

5. cause a prickling sensation

6. to cause a sharp emotional pain

7. deliver a sting to

  Familiarity information: PRICK used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PRICK (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Insulting terms of address for people who are stupid or irritating or ridiculous

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

asshole; bastard; cocksucker; dickhead; mother fucker; motherfucker; prick; shit; SOB; son of a bitch; whoreson

Hypernyms ("prick" is a kind of...):

disagreeable person; unpleasant person (a person who is not pleasant or agreeable)

Domain usage:

dirty word; filth; obscenity; smut; vulgarism (an offensive or indecent word or phrase)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A depression scratched or carved into a surface

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Synonyms:

dent; incision; prick; scratch; slit

Hypernyms ("prick" is a kind of...):

depression; impression; imprint (a concavity in a surface produced by pressing)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "prick"):

score; scotch (a slight surface cut (especially a notch that is made to keep a tally))

Derivation:

prick (make a small hole into, as with a needle or a thorn)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Obscene terms for penis

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

cock; dick; pecker; prick; putz; shaft; tool

Hypernyms ("prick" is a kind of...):

member; penis; phallus (the male sex organ ('member' is a euphemism))

Domain usage:

dirty word; filth; obscenity; smut; vulgarism (an offensive or indecent word or phrase)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The act of puncturing with a small point

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

prick; pricking

Context example:

he gave the balloon a small prick

Hypernyms ("prick" is a kind of...):

puncture (the act of puncturing or perforating)

Derivation:

prick (make a small hole into, as with a needle or a thorn)

• PRICK (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they prick    ... he / she / it pricks   
Past simple: pricked   
Past participle: pricked   
-ing form: pricking   

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

prick; prickle

Context example:

The nurse pricked my finger to get a small blood sample

Hypernyms (to "prick" is one way to...):

pierce (make a hole into)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "prick"):

needle (prick with a needle)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

prick (the act of puncturing with a small point)

prick (a depression scratched or carved into a surface)

pricker (an awl for making small holes for brads or small screws)

pricker (a small sharp-pointed tip resembling a spike on a stem or leaf)

pricking (the act of puncturing with a small point)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Cause a stinging pain

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

prick; sting; twinge

Context example:

The needle pricked his skin

Hypernyms (to "prick" is one way to...):

ache; hurt; suffer (feel physical pain)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "prick"):

prick; prickle (cause a prickling sensation)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Raise

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

cock up; prick; prick up

Context example:

The dog pricked up his ears

Hypernyms (to "prick" is one way to...):

erect; rear (cause to rise up)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Stab or urge on as if with a pointed stick

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

goad; prick

Hypernyms (to "prick" is one way to...):

jab; stab (stab or pierce)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 5

Meaning:

Cause a prickling sensation

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

prick; prickle

Hypernyms (to "prick" is one way to...):

prick; sting; twinge (cause a stinging pain)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody's (body part) ----s

Sense 6

Meaning:

To cause a sharp emotional pain

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Context example:

The thought of her unhappiness pricked his conscience

Hypernyms (to "prick" is one way to...):

arouse; elicit; enkindle; evoke; fire; kindle; provoke; raise (call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 7

Meaning:

Deliver a sting to

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

bite; prick; sting

Context example:

A bee stung my arm yesterday

Hypernyms (to "prick" is one way to...):

pierce (make a hole into)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

 Context examples 

He could feel the pricking and stinging of the old anger as it strove to rise up in him, but it strove against love.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

The ears are half-pricked or half-rose shaped.

(Glen of Imaal Terrier, NCI Thesaurus)

“I have pricked off the tally,” said Aylward, who had come aboard with his lord.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I trust her feeling ill may not be from that unlucky prick of the safety-pin.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

So spirited a creature would have certainly roused the soundest of sleepers when it felt the prick of the knife.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

You shan't stir a step, so you may just stay where you are, scolded Jo, crosser than ever, having just pricked her finger in her hurry.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

It has been pricked with a pin.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I could not lay a finger anywhere but I was pricked; and now I seem to have gathered up a stray lamb in my arms.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

The ears are either rose or half-pricked.

(English Staffordshire Terrier, NCI Thesaurus)

The head is broad and slightly rounded between the widely set, moderately pointed pricked ears.

(Australian Cattle Dog, NCI Thesaurus)