Main Entry: ²prick

Function: verb

Date: before 12th century

transitive verb

1 : to pierce slightly with a sharp point
2 : to affect with anguish, grief, or remorse <doubt began to prick him — Philip Hale>
3 : 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>intransitive verb 1 a : to prick something or cause a pricking sensation b : to feel discomfort as if from being pricked
2 a : to urge a horse with the spur b : to ride fast
3 : thrust
4 : to become directed upward : point

— prick up one's ears : to listen intently