pickle

1 of 3

noun (1)

pick·​le ˈpi-kəl 

1

: a solution or bath for preserving or cleaning: such 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

pickle

2 of 3

verb

pickled; pickling ˈpi-k(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to treat, preserve, or clean in or with a pickle

2

: to give a light finish to (something, such as furniture) by bleaching or painting and wiping

pickle

3 of 3

noun (2)

1

Scotland : grain, kernel

2

Scotland : a small quantity

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• bind
• box
• catch-22
• corner
• dilemma
• fix
• hole
• impasse
• jackpot [chiefly West]
• jam
• mire
• predicament
• quagmire
• rabbit hole
• rattrap
• spot
• sticky wicket
• swamp

Examples of pickle in a Sentence

Noun (1)

well, this is a bit of a pickle we've gotten ourselves into

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Tomato slices are slipping out, pickles are disappearing and the bread can get soggy. Build a better burger like this: Toast the bun. —Joe Difazio, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025

Meanwhile, the endless regional and personal variations of miso soup and pickles mean each shop’s set is just a little different. —Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2025

Verb

Another standout is the house-special rice noodles with sliced beef, peanuts, pickled peppers, sour pickled radish cubes, cucumber, cilantro, and pickled long beans to cut through the heat. —Kaila Yu, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025

And the team has been preparing here in advance, pre-producing, pickling and conserving fruits and vegetables. —Jennifer Leigh Parker, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

Noun (2)

perhaps from Scots pickle to trifle, pilfer

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1526, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing pickle

• dill pickle

Rhymes for pickle

• fickle
• mickle
• nickel
• nickle
• nicol
• prickle
• sickle
• tickle
• trickle
• ventricle

Kids Definition

pickle

1 of 2 noun

pick·​le ˈpik-əl 

1

: a liquid used for preserving or cleaning

especially : a saltwater or vinegar solution in which foods are preserved : brine

2

: an unpleasant or difficult situation : plight

3

: an article of food (as a cucumber) preserved in a saltwater or vinegar solution

pickle

2 of 2 verb

pickled; pickling ˈpik-(ə-)liŋ 

: to treat, preserve, or clean in or with a pickle