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

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 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

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

The meal began with my favorite dish of the night: bone marrow with short rib marmalade, pickled mustard seeds, watercress salad, and crispy baguette.

From Salon

Back in June, I was relentlessly being fed recipes for summer’s hottest beverage: pickled lemonade.

From Salon

“I don’t think it’s just the weather. I’ve seen cramps in cold weather, hot weather, in rain. Everyone has their own list how to treat — coconut water, bananas, pickle juice, mustard, Gatorade.”

From Los Angeles Times

Encased in a flour tortilla is seasoned beef crumble, sharp shredded cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes and onion and ketchup, mustard and pickled relish.

From Salon

Stephen tucked in a couple of bread-and-butter pickles for good measure, a kind of weeknight Cuban, improvised but persuasive.

From Salon