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View synonyms for pickle

pickle

1

[ 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

2

[ 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

/ 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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈpickler, noun
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Word History and Origins

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; -le
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Word History and Origins

Origin of pickle1

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

see in a fix (pickle) .
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Example Sentences

Zooming in from their home in Hamilton, Canada, they shared stories, songs and sacred objects: cherished photos, a Christmas mouse, even a sacred pickle.

The McRib consists of a restructured boneless pork patty molded to resemble a miniature rack of ribs along with barbeque sauce, onions and pickles.

From Salon

It’s a really nice quiet restaurant and I get my combo plate with broiled salmon, tamagoyaki, soup, rice and little pickles.

Dodgers fans like Weaver with namesakes on the Bronx Bombers are in a bit of a pickle this fall, caught between the team they support and the American League stalwart whose name they share.

So the state government is in a pickle.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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