pickle

[ pik-uhl ]

/ ˈpɪk əl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR pickle ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

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

something preserved in a brine or marinade.

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

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

Informal. a troublesome or awkward situation; predicament: I was in a pickle after the check bounced.

Informal. a sour, disagreeable person.

verb (used with object), pick·led, pick·ling.

to preserve or steep in brine or other liquid.

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

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

Slang. to store; prepare for long-range storage: Let's pickle these old cars for a few years.

Nearby words

pickford, pickford, mary, pickin, picking, pickings, pickle, pickled, pickleworm, picklock, pickpocket, pickproof

Origin of pickle

1400–50; late Middle English pikkyll, pekille < Middle Dutch, Middle Low German pekel (> German Pökel) brine, pickle

SYNONYMS FOR pickle

6 plight, quandary; fix, bind, scrape, jam.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR pickle ON THESAURUS.COM

Definition for pickle (2 of 2)

pickle

[ pik-uh l ]

/ ˈpɪk əl /

noun Scot. and North England.

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

a small amount; a little.

Origin of pickle

1545–55; perhaps noun use of pickle to take tiny bits of food in eating, frequentative of pick¹; see -le

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for pickle

You spice it with blues and skiffle music, and pickle it in alcohol and tobacco smoke.
The Greatest Rock Voice of All Time Belonged to Joe Cocker|Ted Gioia|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Our backyard had a baseball diamond and a “Pickle” path worn into the lawn because of Frankie.
‘Tracing the Blue Light’: Read Chapter 1 of Eileen Cronin’s ‘Mermaid’|Eileen Cronin|April 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A pinch hitter named Pickle Smith was announced for Jacksonville.
The Great Paul Hemphill Celebrates the Long Gone Birmingham Barons|Paul Hemphill|March 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Chuck Strickler of Decatur, Michigan, found himself in a pickle right after September 11.
New iPhone a Problem for People Who Lack Fingerprints|Winston Ross|September 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST

But soon after I arrived in Washington, D.C., I was in a pickle.
Michelle Rhee: My Break With the Democrats|Michelle Rhee|February 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Mix the pickle well together; pour it over the peaches, and tie them down close with either leather or a bladder.
The Lady's Own Cookery Book, and New Dinner-Table Directory;|Charlotte Campbell Bury
Mr. Grewgious looked much disgraced by being prefigured in this pickle.
The Mystery of Edwin Drood|Charles Dickens
But Bob Hart's sketch was not destined to end in a pickle jar.
Strictly Business|O. Henry
They pickle and can the products of the land, and in winter do knitting, netting and sewing of all kinds.
Applied Eugenics|Paul Popenoe and Roswell Hill Johnson
That little coral snake in the pickle bottle was responsible for the death of one Reingelder.
The Librarian at Play|Edmund Lester Pearson

British Dictionary definitions for pickle

pickle

/ (ˈpɪkəl) /

noun

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

any food preserved in this way

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

mainly US and Canadian a cucumber that has been preserved and flavoured in a pickling solution, such as brine or vinegar

informal an awkward or difficult situationto be in a pickle

British informal a mischievous child

verb (tr)

to preserve in a pickling liquid

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

Derived Forms

pickler, noun

Word Origin for pickle

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

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

Idioms and Phrases with pickle

pickle

see in a fix (pickle).