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

Now unwitting spectators are yelling fault, filing noise complaints and petitions to curb playing hours that have left authorities in a pickle.

From Barron's

There are gifts that actually improve with a little time — spiced nuts, granola, brittle, caramel corn, spice blends, pickles.

From Salon

“This kind of put me in a pickle,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

In prison, he "loved eating rice with pickled ginger," Chan said.

From BBC

Both roasted fruit and pickles are deceptively easy but endlessly rewarding: little interventions that keep your meals feeling fresh, seasonal, and full of layered flavor.

From Salon