pickle

¹

[pik-uhl]

noun

Scot. and North England.

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

2. a small amount; a little.

pickle

²

[pik-uhl]

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.

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

/ 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

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

Other Word Forms

• pickler noun

Word History and Origins

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

Origin of pickle²

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of pickle¹

C14: perhaps from Middle Dutch pekel; related to German Pökel brine

Idioms and Phrases

see in a fix (pickle).

Example Sentences

Her room was a small one off the kitchen that had once been a pickle pantry, and it still smelled sharply of vinegar, as if a barrel of sauerkraut were hidden someplace nearby.

Read more on Literature

In such a pickle, Old Timothy’s inscrutable advice was better than none, so in search of Dr. Westminster she went.

Read more on Literature

At that point you are truly in a pickle, for instead of swift action there will be a lengthy discussion as onlookers try to determine which of them is best qualified to assist.

Read more on Literature

There are fermented hot sauces and a blue fermented pickle juice-lemonade hybrid meant to be downed by the shot.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

There are fun flavors like cotton candy and pickled mango.

Read more on Los Angeles Times