pinprick

American  

[pin-prik] / ˈpɪnˌprɪk /

noun

1. any minute puncture made by a pin or the like.

2. a negligible irritation or annoyance.

---

pinprick British  

/ ˈpɪnˌprɪk /

noun

1. a slight puncture made by or as if by a pin

2. a small irritation

---

verb

1. (tr) to puncture with or as if with a pin

Etymology

Origin of pinprick

First recorded in 1745–55; pin + prick

Example Sentences

The domed blue ceiling is mottled with pinpricks of shining light, like stars emerging in the darkness.

From Los Angeles Times

He tailors his training to meet a targeted exertional threshold and monitors his lactate levels with pinprick blood tests.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Nowadays, we literally need a pinprick size amount of blood or any other cellular material to be able to get a full profile."

From BBC

It’s death by a thousand pinpricks, a succession of small indignities.

From New York Times

The blast created a mini-sandstorm that pelted the gallery of patrons like a million pinpricks.

From Los Angeles Times