prickle

UK: /ˈprɪk^əl/ US: /ˈprɪkəl/ ,(prik′əl)

Inflections of 'prickle' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

prickles

v 3rd person singular

prickling

v pres p

prickled

v past

prickled

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

prick•le /ˈprɪkəl/   n., v., -led, -ling. 
n. [countable]

1. Botany a small, sharp thorn that sticks out, as on a plant.
2. a pricking sensation.

v. [no object]

3. to cause a pricking sensation:
   His skin prickled at having to go into the dark room alone.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

prick•le  (prik′əl), n., v., -led, -ling. 
n. 

1. a sharp point.
2. Botany a small, pointed process growing from the bark of a plant.
3. Zoology a sharp process or projection, as from the skin of an animal;
   a spine.
4. a pricking sensation.

v.t. 

5. to prick lightly.
6. to cause a pricking or tingling sensation in.

v.i. 

7. to tingle as if pricked.

• Middle English prykel (noun, nominal), Old English pricel. See prick, -le bef. 950

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

prickle / ˈprɪk^əl/ noun

1. a pointed process arising from the outer layer of a stem, leaf, etc, and containing no woody or conducting tissue
   Compare thorn1
2. a pricking or stinging sensation

verb

1. to feel or cause to feel a stinging sensation
2. (transitive) to prick, as with a thorn

Etymology: Old English pricel; related to Middle Low German prekel, German Prickel