pike

1 of 8

noun (1)

1
2
: a sharp point or spike
also : the tip of a spear
piked adjective

pike

2 of 8

noun (2)

dialectal, England
: a mountain or hill having a peaked summit
used especially in place names

pike

3 of 8

noun (3)

plural pike or pikes
1
a
: a large elongate long-snouted freshwater bony fish (Esox lucius) valued for food and sport and widely distributed in cooler parts of the northern hemisphere

called also northern, northern pike

b
: any of various fishes (family Esocidae) related to the pike: such as
(1)
(2)
2
: any of various fishes resembling the pike in appearance or habits

pike

4 of 8

noun (4)

: a heavy spear with a very long shaft used by infantry especially in Europe from the Middle Ages to the 18th century

pike

5 of 8

verb (1)

piked; piking

transitive verb

: to pierce, kill, or wound with a pike

pike

6 of 8

verb (2)

piked; piking

intransitive verb

1
: to leave abruptly
get lonely and sore, and pike outSinclair Lewis
2
: to make one's way
pike along

pike

7 of 8

noun (5)

1
2
: a railroad or railroad line or system

pike

8 of 8

noun (6)

: a body position (as in diving) in which the hips are bent, the knees are straight, and the hands touch the toes or clasp the legs behind or just above the knees
Phrases
down the pike
1
: in the course of events
the greatest boxer to come down the pike in years
2
: in the future
today's advances only hint at what's down the pike

Examples of pike in a Sentence

Noun (1) you can take the pike all the way to the city Noun (2) a foot soldier armed with a pike Noun (3) the spear's metal pike was designed to cause a gaping wound when it was pulled out of the victim Verb (2) early next morning the aloof guest just piked out without saying a word
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Advertisement 2024 Paris Olympics Science of Simone: The forces behind her iconic Yurchenko double pike July 23, 2024 And the woman it’s named after appears to have held a funeral for it. Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2024 So, for now, the Yurchenko double pike is on hiatus, perhaps to be performed again, but not by Biles. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 3 Sep. 2024 Biles frequently bounds backward, or even falls, on her Yurchenko double pike, the most difficult vault in women’s gymnastics. Emily Giambalvo, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2024 The Yurchenko double pike is so difficult because there is no bailout. USA TODAY, 21 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for pike 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pike.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English pīc pickax

Noun (2)

Middle English, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect pīk pointed mountain

Noun (3)

Middle English, from pike entry 1

Noun (4)

Middle French pique, from piquer to prick, from Vulgar Latin *piccare, perhaps from Latin picus woodpecker — more at pie

Verb (2)

Middle English pyken (reflexive)

Noun (6)

perhaps from pike entry 3

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (4)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

1787, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

circa 1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (5)

1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (6)

1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pike was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near pike

Cite this Entry

“Pike.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pike. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

pike

1 of 4 noun
1
2
: a sharp point or spike (as the tip of a spear)
piked adjective

pike

2 of 4 noun
plural pike or pikes
1
: a large freshwater fish with a long body and long snout that is valued for food and sport and is widely distributed in cool northern waters
2
: any of various fishes related to or like the pike

pike

3 of 4 noun
: a long wooden pole with a steel point once used as a weapon

pike

4 of 4 noun
Etymology

Noun

Old English pic "pick used for digging"

Noun

Middle English pike "a fish," from pic "a pick used for digging"

Noun

from early French pique "a long weapon of war," from piquer "to prick," probably derived from a Latin word picus "woodpecker" — related to pick entry 1

Noun

a shortened form of turnpike

Biographical Definition

Pike

biographical name

Zebulon Montgomery 1779–1813 American general and explorer

More from Merriam-Webster on pike

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