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 pickle¹

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; -le

Example Sentences

There’s cabbage and brussels sprouts — cruciferous veggies that are divine pickled.

From Salon

The bespectacled leg-spinner recently had the Australians in a pickle and has a great chance to bag a hatful of wickets in the opening group stage against weaker teams.

From BBC

I was addicted to reading the food scenes—the Christmas feast that the March girls bring to the Hummels, the illicit pickled limes Amy sucks on at school.

From The Wall Street Journal

I fingered striped suspenders and stiff new overalls, peeked in the pickle barrel, and examined jars of peppermint sticks and jawbreakers.

From Literature

Her mother was busily slicing pickled radishes to serve with the rice and soup.

From Literature