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