prickle

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: prick=le

CIDE DICTIONARY

prickle, n. [AS. pricele, pricle; akin to LG. prickel, D. prikkel. See Prick, n.].

•  A little prick; a small, sharp point; a fine, sharp process or projection, as from the skin of an animal, the bark of a plant, etc.; a spine.  Bacon.  [1913 Webster]
•  A kind of willow basket; -- a term still used in some branches of trade.  B. Jonson.  [1913 Webster]
•  A sieve of filberts, -- about fifty pounds.  [1913 Webster]

prickle, v. t. 

 To prick slightly, as with prickles, or fine, sharp points.  [1913 Webster]
"Felt a horror over me creep,
Prickle skin, and catch my breath."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

prickle, n. & v.
--n.
1 a a small thorn. b Bot. a thornlike process developed from the epidermis of a plant.
2 a hard-pointed spine of a hedgehog etc.
3 a prickling sensation.
--v.tr. & intr. affect or be affected with a sensation as of pricking.

Etymology

OE pricel PRICK: (v.) also dimin. of PRICK

THESAURUS

prickle

aculeus, acumination, adherent, adhesive, auger, barb, barnacle, bit, borer, bramble, brier, bristle, bulldog, burr, buzz, cactus, catchweed, cement, cleavers, cusp, decal, decalcomania, drill, glue, goose grass, gunk, itch, itchiness, jab, leech, limpet, molasses, mucilage, mucro, neb, needle, nettle, nib, paresthesia, paste, pine needle, pins and needles, plaster, point, prick, pricking, prickles, prickliness, prickling, prong, quill, remora, scratch, smart, spicule, spiculum, spike, spikelet, spine, spur, stick, sticker, sting, stinging, syrup, thistle, thorn, thrill, tine, tingle, tingling, tip, urtication, yucca

ROGET THESAURUS

prickle

Sharpness

N sharpness, acuity, acumination, spinosity, point, spike, spine, spicule, spiculum, needle, hypodermic needle, tack, nail, pin, prick, prickle, spur, rowel, barb, spit, cusp, horn, antler, snag, tag thorn, bristle, Adam's needle, bear grass, tine, yucca, nib, tooth, tusk, spoke, cog, ratchet, crag, crest, arete, cone peak, sugar loaf, pike, aiguille, spire, pyramid, steeple, beard, chevaux de frise, porcupine, hedgehog, brier, bramble, thistle, comb, awn, beggar's lice, bur, burr, catchweed, cleavers, clivers, goose, grass, hairif, hariff, flax comb, hackle, hatchel, heckle, wedge, knife edge, cutting edge, blade, edge tool, cutlery, knife, penknife, whittle, razor, razor blade, safety razor, straight razor, electric razor, scalpel, bistoury, lancet, plowshare, coulter, colter, hatchet, ax, pickax, mattock, pick, adze, gill, billhook, cleaver, cutter, scythe, sickle, scissors, shears, pruning shears, cutters, wire cutters, nail clipper, paper cutter, sword, bodkin, belduque, bowie knife, paring knife, bushwhacker, drawing knife, drawing shave, microtome, chisel, screwdriver blade, flint blade, guillotine, sharpener, hone, strop, grindstone, whetstone, novaculite, steel, emery, sharp, keen, acute, acicular, aciform, aculeated, acuminated, pointed, tapering, conical, pyramidal, mucronate, mucronated, spindle shaped, needle shaped, spiked, spiky, ensiform, peaked, salient, cusped, cuspidate, cuspidated, cornute, cornuted, cornicultate, prickly, spiny, spinous, spicular, thorny, bristling, muricated, pectinated, studded, thistly, briary, craggy, snaggy, digitated, two-edged, fusiform, dentiform, denticulated, toothed, odontoid, starlike, stellated, stelliform, sagittate, sagittiform, arrowheaded, arrowy, barbed, spurred, acinaciform, apiculate, apiculated, aristate, awned, awny, bearded, calamiform, cone-shaped, coniform, crestate, echinate, gladiate, lanceolate, lanciform, awl, awl-shaped, lance-shaped, awl- shaped, scimitar-shaped, sword-shaped, setarious, spinuliferous, subulate, tetrahedral, xiphoid, cutting, sharp edged, knife edged, sharp as a razor, keen as a razor, sharp as a needle, sharp as a tack, sharpened, set.

Sensations of Touch

VB itch, tingle, creep, thrill, sting, prick, prickle, tickle, titillate.