Prick
/prɪk/noun
To pierce or puncture with a sharp point; also, a sharp point or small puncture.
Did you know?Its oldest sense is brutally physical, but English later turned it into a slur and even a verb for “to incite” or “spur on,” showing how sharp actions became sharp language.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*preik-
“to prick, pierce, or puncture”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*prikjaną
“to prick or pierce”
Old English
OE
prician
“to prick, puncture, or mark with a point”
Middle English
ME
prikken
“to prick, pierce, spur, or urge on”
Modern English
English
prick
“to make a small hole or sharp puncture; also a sharp-pointed object”