pricking

American  

[prik-ing] / ˈprɪk ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that pricks.

2. a prickly or smarting sensation.

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Etymology

Origin of pricking

before 1000; Middle English; Old English pricung; see prick, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Nevertheless, there was that telltale pricking at the eyes when your mind begins to think about what might have been.

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026

That’s where it started when I was pricking that bubble of comedians who think they’re changing the world.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2025

The authors found that the three variants were associated with a lower pain threshold in response to skin pricking after prior exposure to mustard oil, but not in response to heat or pressure.

From Science Daily • Oct. 10, 2023

The current gold standard test—only conducted in specialized allergy clinics—involves pricking the skin and injecting a small amount of penicillin.

From Scientific American • Oct. 5, 2023

I was on edge the rest of the day, the encounter with the boy sticking to me like burs pricking at my skin.

From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez