pickle

¹ American  

[pik-uhl] / ˈpɪk əl /

noun

1. a cucumber that has been preserved in brine, vinegar, or the like.

2. Often pickles any other vegetable, as cauliflower, celery, etc., preserved in vinegar and eaten as a relish.

3. something preserved in a brine or marinade.

4. a liquid usually prepared with salt or vinegar for preserving or flavoring fish, meat, vegetables, etc.; brine or marinade.

5. Metallurgy. an acid or other chemical solution in which metal objects are dipped to remove oxide scale or other adhering substances.

6. Informal. a troublesome or awkward situation; predicament.

   I was in a pickle after the check bounced.

   Synonyms:

   jam, scrape, bind, fix, quandary, plight

7. Informal. a sour, disagreeable person.

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verb (used with object)

pickled, pickling

1. to preserve or steep in brine or other liquid.

2. to treat with a chemical solution, as for the purpose of cleaning.

3. to give a pale, streaked finish to (wood) by applying and partly removing paint or by bleaching, as to give an appearance of age.

4. Slang. to store; prepare for long-range storage.

   Let's pickle these old cars for a few years.

pickle ² American  

[pik-uhl] / ˈpɪk əl /

noun

Scot. and North England.

1. a single grain or kernel, as of barley or corn.

2. a small amount; a little.

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pickle British  

/ ˈpɪkəl /

noun

1. (often plural) vegetables, such as cauliflowers, onions, etc, preserved in vinegar, brine, etc

2. any food preserved in this way

3. a liquid or marinade, such as spiced vinegar, for preserving vegetables, meat, fish, etc

4. a cucumber that has been preserved and flavoured in a pickling solution, such as brine or vinegar

5. informal an awkward or difficult situation

   to be in a pickle

6. informal a mischievous child

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verb

1. to preserve in a pickling liquid

2. to immerse (a metallic object) in a liquid, such as an acid, to remove surface scale

pickle Idioms  

1. see in a fix (pickle).

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Other Word Forms

• pickler
  noun

Etymology

Origin of pickle¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English pikel, pikkel “spicy sauce or gravy,” from Middle Dutch, Middle Low German pekel(e), peeckel “brine, pickle”

Origin of pickle²

First recorded in 1545–55; of uncertain origin; perhaps noun use of pickle “to take tiny bits of food in eating,” frequentative of pick ¹; see -le

Explanation

A pickle is a food that's made by soaking vegetables in brine or vinegar. If you are wondering what that crunchy green wedge beside your sandwich is, it just may be a pickle. While the most familiar pickles in the US are the thin disks or small, crunchy pickled cucumbers you can buy in jars, there are many other kinds of pickles. You can pickle just about any vegetable, from beets to okra to cucumbers — or even hard boiled eggs. In South Asian cuisines, pickle is a delicious spicy relish served aside many dishes. And if you find yourself in a really messy situation, you can say, "Wow, what a pickle."

Example Sentences

While Great Britain's athletes follow strict nutritional regimes, Pickle is more flexible, preferring "pretty much anything she can find on the floor".

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

“The release of ChatGPT in November 2022 acted as the starting gun for the current AI race,” Austin Pickle, investment strategy analyst at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, said in a note Monday.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 17, 2025

His company, Pickle, aims to develop personalized AI companions akin to Tony Stark’s Jarvis in “Iron Man.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 2, 2025

Nothing remains of the Dill Pickle Club today beyond memories and a few stray photos on the internet.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2025

Safer does not love me, and he does not call me Pickle.

From "Liar & Spy" by Rebecca Stead