Main Entry: ¹pick·le

Pronunciation: \ˈpi-kəl\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English pykyl, pekill sauce, gravy, from or akin to Middle Dutch peeckel brine

Date: 15th century

1 : a solution or bath for preserving or cleaning: as a : a brine or vinegar solution in which foods are preserved b : any of various baths used in industrial cleaning or processing
2 : a difficult situation : plight <could see no way out of the pickle I was in — R. L. Stevenson>
3 : an article of food that has been preserved in brine or in vinegar; specifically : a cucumber that has been so preserved