prickle

plural prickles

1. A sharp and often small point, especially that of a plant; a thorn.

   The plants that have prickles are, thorns, black and white, briar, rose, lemon-trees,[…]

   1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “VI. Century.”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC

   1. biologyA sharp, hard extension of the cortex and epidermis of some plants (such as roses), as distinguished from a thorn.
2. figurativelyA tingling sensation of mild discomfort.
3. Ulsterin pluralGooseflesh.
4. A kind of willow basket.

   If I had but a pottle of Sacke, like a sharp prickle, / To knock my nose against when I am nodding

   c. 1623–1624 – 1630s, John Fletcher, Philip Massinger, “The Lovers Progres”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act III, scene ii, page 80

   1 more example

   The prickle is a brown willow basket, in which walnuts are imported into this country from the Continent; they are about thirty inches deep, and in bulk rather larger than a gallon measure; they are used only by the vendors of walnuts.

   1851, Henry Mayhew, “Costermongers”, in London Labour and the London Poor

5. UKobsoleteA sieve of hazelnuts, weighing about fifty pounds.
6. collectiveA group of hedgehogs or porcupines.

   Our prickle of porcupines has grown

   2019 October 17, Rebecca Reid, “Our prickle of porcupines has grown”, in Auckland Zoo, archived from the original on 28 Jul 2026

   2 more examples

   That honour belongs to a hairy-footed flower bee, a breeding pair of geese, some dragonfly nymphs, a flock of grey wagtails, a prickle of hedgehogs, an armada of newts, a flutter of spring butterflies and a “very cheeky” fox.

   2026 April 18, Donna Ferguson, “A prickle of hedgehogs and an armada of newts: wildlife settles in at London’s new Queen Elizabeth garden”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 28 Jul 2026

   It may strike some people as odd, a father-daughter gift of a porcupine (and a dead one, at that), but a prickle of porcupines had become quite the pests around his farm, damaging things and gnawing the bark off of many of the trees.

   2025 November 16, Anna-Louise Jackson, “Montana Woman Plucks Her Own Quills From Porcupines To Make Unique Jewelry”, in Cowboy State Daily, archived from the original on 28 Jul 2026

present singular third person prickles · participle present prickling · participle past prickled · past prickled

1. intransitiveTo feel a prickle.
2. transitiveTo cause (someone) to feel a prickle; to prick.

   Guilt prickled me. It was about to get much worse.

   2014, J. S. Eades, Promises and Other Broken Things, page 400