prick

Everyday

1. To make a tiny hole in something with a sharp point, like a needle or a thorn. tree →
2. A small sharp pain, or the tiny mark made by a sharp point. tree →
3. "Prick up its ears": when an animal raises its ears to listen carefully. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life you can prick your finger on a rose thorn, a needle or a pin; a nurse may prick your finger to test a drop of blood. In cooking, you prick sausages or potatoes with a fork so they do not burst. In stories, a dog "pricks up its ears" when it hears a sound. Phrases: prick your finger, prick up its ears, a pin prick.

Examples

• I pricked my finger on a rose thorn. tree →
• Prick the potatoes with a fork before baking them. tree →
• The nurse pricked my finger to check my blood. tree →
• The dog pricked up its ears when it heard the gate. tree →
• I felt a little prick when I got the injection. tree →
• In the fairy tale, the princess pricks her finger on a spinning wheel. tree →
• Be careful not to prick yourself with the sewing needle. tree →
• The Shepherd Dogs pricked up their ears. tree →

Note

Regular verb: prick, pricked, pricking. Countable noun: a prick, pricks. Safety: wash a finger pricked by a thorn and tell an adult if it gets red or sore; never pick up used needles. The word also has a rude slang meaning as an insult, which pupils should not use.

In Jewish tradition

To pierce slightly with a sharp point. In the Psalms it describes sharp inner pain, as the psalmist's heart was in a ferment and he was pricked in his reins (his kidneys, meaning his inmost feelings).

Interpretation. The tradition reads this as the pain of a good person who is troubled to see the wicked prosper, until he understands God's ways.

Examples

• For my heart was in a ferment, and I was pricked in my reins. (Writings PSA.73.21, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Regular verb: prick, pricked, pricking. Countable noun: a prick, pricks. Safety: wash a finger pricked by a thorn and tell an adult if it gets red or sore; never pick up used needles. The word also has a rude slang meaning as an insult, which pupils should not use.