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; -le

Example Sentences

We began, too, to pickle vegetables and present them as gifts to visiting dignitaries, along with jars of honey from our new beehives.

From Literature

She sat an empty dill pickle jar on the table next to her savings chart.

From Literature

“You’ve got yourself in quite a pickle now.”

From Literature

But no one ever said I had to turn over every penny I made to the stoneware pickle crock in which the household money was kept.

From Literature

At times they feel afraid, or lonely, or hopeless, just as the less plucky do; they simply happen to excel at keeping their spirits up in a pickle.

From Literature