1
: a mark or shallow hole made by a pointed instrument
2
a
: a pointed instrument or weapon
b
: a sharp projecting organ or part
3
4
vulgar
: penis
5
slang, vulgar
: a spiteful or contemptible man often having some authority
pricked; pricking; pricks
1
: to pierce slightly with a sharp point
2
: to affect with anguish, grief, or remorse
doubt began to prick him—
Philip Hale
Philip Hale3
: to ride, guide, or urge on with or as if with spurs : goad
4
: to mark, distinguish, or note by means of a small mark
5
: to trace or outline with punctures
6
: to remove (a young seedling) from the seedbed to another suitable for further growth
—usually used with out
7
: to cause to be or stand erect
a dog pricking its ears
Examples of prick in a Sentence
Noun
She felt a prick as the thorn jabbed her foot.
He felt the prick of the needle.
She felt a prick of jealousy.
Verb
The nurse pricked my finger and squeezed out a drop of blood.
The sharp shells pricked the bottoms of our feet.
She was pricked by doubt.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dawn Kovell, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2025
So sharp are his ears, when pricked up, that somebody, way back in the Leonard genealogy, must have made out with a lynx.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
Nearly 150 people reported being pricked with needles across France over the weekend, during its nationwide music festival Fête de la Musique.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 26 June 2025
The paper reported that the investigation began when three people in Paris reported feeling unwell and said they had been pricked by a syringe.
—Liam Quinn, People.com, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for prick
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Verb
The type of ears a dog has, such as pricked, folded or drooping, will affect the way in which they’re used to communicate feelings.
—Dawn Kovell, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2025
So sharp are his ears, when pricked up, that somebody, way back in the Leonard genealogy, must have made out with a lynx.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
Nearly 150 people reported being pricked with needles across France over the weekend, during its nationwide music festival Fête de la Musique.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 26 June 2025
The paper reported that the investigation began when three people in Paris reported feeling unwell and said they had been pricked by a syringe.
—Liam Quinn, People.com, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for prick
Cite this Entry
“Prick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prick. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prick
1 of 2 noun1
: a mark or small wound made by a pointed instrument
2
: something sharp or pointed
3
: an instance of pricking
4
: the sensation of being pricked
prick
2 of 2 verb1
: to pierce slightly with a sharp point
2
: to have or cause a feeling of or as if of being pricked
3
: to point forward or upward
the dog's ears pricked up at the sound
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