Etymology

prick

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Today it means: A small hole or perforation, caused by piercing. Full definition →

First used 10th c.Middle English prik ← Old English prica ← Proto-West Germanic *prikō
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prick · noun1

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*breyǵ-“to scrape, scratch, rub, prickle, chap”
  2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*prikô
  3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*prikō
  4. Old English · inherited fromprica
  5. Middle English · inherited fromprik
  6. English todayprick

From Middle English prik, prikke, from Old English prica, pricu (“a sharp point, minute mark, spot, dot, small portion, prick”), from Proto-West Germanic *prikō, *priku, from Proto-Germanic *prikô, *prikō (“a prick, point”), of uncertain origin, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *breyǵ- (“to scrape, scratch, rub, prickle, chap”). Cognate with West Frisian prik (“small hole”), West Frisian prikke (“penis”), Dutch prik (“point, small stick", also "penis”), Danish prik (“dot”), Icelandic prik (“dot, small stick”).

prick · verb2

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*breyǵ-“to scrape, scratch, rub, prickle, chap”
  2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*prikōną
  3. Old English · inherited fromprician
  4. Middle English · inherited fromprikken
  5. English todayprick

From Middle English prikken, from Old English prician, priccan (“to prick”), from Proto-Germanic *prikōną, *prikjaną (“to pierce, prick”), of uncertain origin; perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *breyǵ- (“to scrape, scratch, rub, prickle, chap”). Cognate with dialectal English pritch, Dutch prikken (“to prick, sting”), Middle High German pfrecken (“to prick”), Swedish pricka (“to dot, prick”), and possibly to Lithuanian įbrėžti (“to scrape, scratch, carve, inscribe, strike”).

First known use, by meaning

  • from 10th c. A small hole or perforation, caused by piercing.
  • from 10th c. An indentation or small mark made with a pointed object.
  • 10th–18th c. A dot or other diacritical mark used in writing; a point.
  • 10th–18th c. A tiny particle; a small amount of something; a jot.
  • from 10th c. A small pointed object.
  • from 13th c. The experience or feeling of being pierced or punctured by a small, sharp object.
  • from 16th c. The penis.
  • from 16th c. Someone (especially a male) who is unpleasant, rude or annoying.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.