pickled

[ pik-uh ld ]

/ ˈpɪk əld /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR pickled ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

preserved or steeped in brine or other liquid.

Slang. drunk; intoxicated.

(of wood) given an antique appearance by applying and partly removing paint or by bleaching.

Nearby words

Origin of pickled

First recorded in 1545–55; pickle¹ + -ed²

Related formsun·pick·led, adjective

pickle

[ pik-uhl ]

/ ˈpɪk əl /

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.

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

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

Examples from the Web for pickled

From ceviche marinade to pickled sheep eyeballs to ground rhino horns, here are the craziest hangover cures from around the globe.
The Wildest Hangover Cures From Around the World|Nina Strochlic|November 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It features a pickled herring wrapped around pickled cucumbers and onions, and sometimes includes a beer.
The Wildest Hangover Cures From Around the World|Nina Strochlic|November 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Mongolians bravely swallow a glass of pickled sheep eyeballs mixed into tomato juice to chase away their morning-after blues.
The Wildest Hangover Cures From Around the World|Nina Strochlic|November 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Some garlic sauce, fresh and pickled veggies and maybe even some hots.
Kerry's Peace Push A Nothing-Burger?|Ali Gharib|May 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Pickled ramps are possibly the best-known preparation and are best served with roasted meats, fish, or pasta.
The Wonderful World of Ramps|Jeff Gimmel|April 26, 2011|DAILY BEAST
It is pickled walnuts she is gathering from the Boot Tree in the scullery.
The Zankiwank and The Bletherwitch|S. J. Adair Fitzgerald
She was the acknowledged past-master of doughnuts; and her pickled cucumbers done in salad oil were dreams of delight.
Hepsey Burke|Frank Noyes Westcott
There is great variety, and the pickled shrimps would tickle the most jaded appetite.
The Gourmet's Guide to Europe|Algernon Bastard
Roe pickled and pressed in this way will keep a long time, and is very nutritious.
Shifts and Expedients of Camp Life, Travel & Exploration|W. B. Lord
Fish is generally eaten raw, and in that case is said to differ little in taste from our pickled salmon.
The Voyage of the Vega round Asia and Europe, Volume I and Volume II|A.E. Nordenskieold

British Dictionary definitions for pickled

pickled

/ (ˈpɪkəld) /

adjective

preserved in a pickling liquid

informal intoxicated; drunk

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 Formspickler, 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

Word Origin and History for pickled

pickled

adj.

"drunk," American English slang, 1900, figurative past participle adjective from pickle (v.).

pickle

c.1400, probably from Middle Dutch pekel "pickle, brine," or related words in Low German and East Frisian (cf. Dutch pekel, East Frisian päkel, German pökel), of uncertain origin or original meaning. Klein suggests the name of a medieval Dutch fisherman who developed the process. Originally a sauce served with meat or fowl; meaning "cucumber preserved in pickle" first recorded 1707, via use of the word for the salty liquid in which meat, etc. was preserved (c.1500). Figurative sense of "sorry plight" first recorded 1560s, from the time when the word still meant a sauce served on meat about to be eaten. Meaning "troublesome boy" is from 1788, perhaps from the notion of being "imbued" with roguery.

pickle

1550s, from pickle (n.). Related: Pickled; pickling.

Idioms and Phrases with pickled

pickle

see in a fix (pickle).

pickled

adjective

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of pickled

pickle

noun

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

Origin of pickle

Examples from the Web for pickled

pickled

adjective

pickle

noun

verb (tr)

Word Origin for pickle

pickled

pickle

pickle

pickle