Pricking
/ˈprɪkɪŋ/noun
The act or sensation of piercing, puncturing, or producing a sharp tingling feeling.
Did you know?In medieval English, pricking could describe not only piercing the skin but also the sharp sensation associated with conscience, emotion, or sudden bodily unease.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Germanic
*prik-
“A reconstructed root associated with piercing or making a sharp point; its ultimate origin is uncertain.”
Old English
Old English
prician
“To prick, puncture, or pierce.”
12th Century
Middle English
priken
“To pierce with a pointed object or cause a sharp sensation.”
14th Century
Middle English
prikyng
“The act of piercing or the experience of a sharp, tingling sensation.”
Modern English
English
pricking
“Piercing, puncturing, or causing a sharp physical or emotional sensation.”