Dictionary

pickle en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

[ˈpɪkɫ̩]
(Australia) audio
/ˈpɪkəl/

Etymology

From Middle English pikel (“spicy sauce served with meat or fish”), borrowed from Middle Dutch, Middle Low German pekel (“brine”). Cognate with Scots pikkill (“salt liquor, brine”), Saterland Frisian Piekele (“pickle, brine”), Dutch pekel (“pickle, brine”), Low German pekel, peckel, pickel, bickel (“pickle, brine”), German Pökel (“pickle, brine”), Icelandic pækill (“brine”).

Meanings

(Australia, Canada, US, countable, uncountable) A cucumber preserved in a solution, usually a brine or a vinegar syrup.
- A pickle goes well with a hamburger.
(countable, in-plural, often, uncountable) Any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish.
(UK, countable, uncountable) A sweet, vinegary pickled chutney popular in Britain.
(countable, uncountable) The brine used for preserving food.
- This tub is filled with the pickle that we will put the small cucumbers into.
(countable, informal, uncountable) A difficult situation; peril.
- The climber found himself in a pickle when one of the rocks broke off.
- I beg you, Miss Jones, to realize the pickle you're in. 1955 October, Rex Stout, “Die Like a Dog”, in Three Witnesses, Bantam, published 1994, →ISBN, page 194:
(countable, endearing, uncountable) A mildly mischievous loved one.
- 'And now,' she said, 'what about that kiss my little pickle was going to give his old Auntie?' 1965, Eric Malpass, Morning's at seven, page 43:
- by degrees my little pickle (who, as I told you at the beginning of the story, was the most troublesome child I ever came across) turned into a very well-behaved young gentleman. 1867, Polly Stubbs, Nursery times; or, Stories about the little ones, by an old nurse, page 143:
- ... If you could get my little pickle to learn his multiplication table before you leave us, you shall have that musical box to take home with you. 1885, Eleanor A. Bulley, Great Britain for little Britons, page 116:
(countable, uncountable) A rundown.
- Jones was caught in a pickle between second and third.
(uncountable) A children’s game with three participants that emulates a baseball rundown
- The boys played pickle in the front yard for an hour.
(countable, slang, uncountable) A penis.
(countable, slang, uncountable) A pipe for smoking methamphetamine.
- Load some shards in that pickle.
(countable, uncountable) A bath of dilute sulphuric or nitric acid, etc., to remove burnt sand, scale, rust, etc., from the surface of castings, or other articles of metal, or to brighten them or improve their colour.
(countable, uncountable) In an optical landing system, the hand-held controller connected to the lens, or apparatus on which the lights are mounted.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
pickel		alternative, obsolete, rare	lexicographic
pickles	Number=Plur		lexicographic

Translations (203)

it cetriolino (preserved cucumber) · hu csemegeuborka (preserved cucumber) · de eingelegtes Gemüse (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · cs lák (brine used for preserving food) · sh туршија (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · he חמוצים (preserved cucumber) · fa خیارشور (preserved cucumber) · et koerakont (children's game) · et purgisalat (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · mfe zasar (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · fi suolakurkku (in brine) (preserved cucumber) · es pepinillo (preserved cucumber) · kmr tilozî (preserved cucumber) · sh turšija (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · yue 泡菜 (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · mk корнишо́н (preserved cucumber) · ne अचार (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · it sottaceti (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · ro murătură (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · et hapukurk (preserved cucumber) · hy թթվաջուր (brine used for preserving food) · ru рассо́л (brine used for preserving food) · kl agurki (preserved cucumber) · fi pikkelssi (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · fa ترشی (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · ca envinagrat (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · rsk квашена огурка (preserved cucumber) · uk пі́кулі (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · ru ки́слый огуре́ц (preserved cucumber) · uk марино́ваний огіро́к (preserved cucumber) · ca cogombret (preserved cucumber) · hu pác (difficult situation) · ar مُخَلَّل (preserved cucumber) · fr pickles (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · hu kovászos uborka (preserved cucumber) · pl ogórek w occie (preserved cucumber) · he מלפפון חמוץ (preserved cucumber) · sv saltgurka (preserved cucumber) · kmr tirozî (preserved cucumber) · bg неприятно положение (difficult situation) · ja 漬け物 (preserved cucumber) · et vürtsikurk (preserved cucumber) · fi kurkku (preserved cucumber) · et ürdikurk (preserved cucumber) · sh rasol (brine used for preserving food) · oj zhiiwisijigaans (preserved cucumber) · ko 절임 (preserved cucumber) · ms acar (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · it guaio (difficult situation) · sv inläggning (brine used for preserving food) · nl pickles (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · et hoidis (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · ota ترشی (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · fr cornichon (preserved cucumber) · hi अचार (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · nl puree (difficult situation) · fi liemi (difficult situation) · et äädikvesi (brine used for preserving food) · ro castravete murat (preserved cucumber) · uk розсі́л (brine used for preserving food) · de Essiggurke (preserved cucumber) · mk расол (brine used for preserving food) · et soolvesi (brine used for preserving food) · rhg añsar (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · mr लोणचे (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · sv inlagd (preserved cucumber) · cmn 泡菜 (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · hy թթու (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · nl worst (slang: penis — see also penis) · el τουρσί (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · fi pikkelöidyt vihannekset (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · nan-hbl 鹹菜 /咸菜 (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · el άλμη (brine used for preserving food) · pl kiszonka (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · mk кисела краставичка (preserved cucumber) · nl (ingemaakte) augurk (preserved cucumber) · es encurtido (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · et soolkurk (preserved cucumber) · uk солі́ння (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · cs okurka nakládačka (preserved cucumber) · pl marynata (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · de Lake (brine used for preserving food) · bg киселинна вана (metalworking: bath of dilute sulphuric or nitric acid, etc.) · ja 塩水 (brine used for preserving food) · io piklokukombreto (preserved cucumber) · fi liemi (brine used for preserving food) · no sylteagurk (preserved cucumber) · et äädikkurk (preserved cucumber) · sh кисели краставац (preserved cucumber) · et purgikurk (preserved cucumber) · uk рупа́ (brine used for preserving food) · fi maustekurkku (preserved cucumber) · cy piclen (preserved cucumber) · ru солёный огуре́ц (preserved cucumber) · el γάρος (brine used for preserving food) · sh zimnica (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · sh kiseli krastavac (preserved cucumber) · tr salamura (brine used for preserving food) · it cetriolo sottaceto (preserved cucumber) · ja 酢漬け (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · sh зимница (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · ko 피클 (preserved cucumber) · yue 醃青瓜 /腌青瓜 (preserved cucumber) · cmn 鹹菜 /咸菜 (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · ms jeruk (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · uk неприє́мне стано́вище (difficult situation) · bg саламура (brine used for preserving food) · yue 鹹菜 /咸菜 (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · cmn 醃菜 /腌菜 (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · hy թթու վարունգ (preserved cucumber) · it salamoia (brine used for preserving food) · ru соле́нье (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · yi זויערע אוגערקע (preserved cucumber) · tr salatalık turşusu (preserved cucumber) · fi suolaliemi (brine used for preserving food) · te పచ్చడి (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · fa آچار (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · ko 간물 (brine used for preserving food) · pl ogórek kiszony (preserved cucumber) · it cetriolino sottaceto (preserved cucumber) · it cetriolo (slang: penis — see also penis) · kok लोणचें (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · nl pekel (brine used for preserving food) · uk квас (brine used for preserving food) · ru ква́шеный огуре́ц (preserved cucumber) · de eingelegte Gurke (preserved cucumber) · ta ஊறுகாய் (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · de Tinte (difficult situation) · el διαβολάκι (affectionate term for a loved one) · eo kukumeto (preserved cucumber) · sv inläggning (preserved cucumber) · pt salmoura (brine used for preserving food) · ja 漬物 (preserved cucumber) · cs kaše (difficult situation) · el ζιζάνιο (affectionate term for a loved one) · ka მწნილი (preserved cucumber) · it pisello (slang: penis — see also penis) · cs polízanice (difficult situation) · ca conserva (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · sv lag (brine used for preserving food) · oj zhiiwi-bipakoombens (preserved cucumber) · vi dưa chua (preserved cucumber) · kl agurki (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · pt picles (preserved cucumber) · kn ಉಪ್ಪಿನಕಾಯಿ (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · de Frechdachs (affectionate term for a loved one) · grc κολυμβάς (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · mi pīkara (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · de saure Gurke (preserved cucumber) · mk туршија (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · cs kyselá okurka (preserved cucumber) · vi dưa (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · sv ättiksgurka (preserved cucumber) · nv naayízí díkʼǫ́zhí (preserved cucumber) · la salgama (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · cmn 醃黃瓜 /腌黄瓜 (preserved cucumber) · mn даршилсан ногоо (preserved cucumber) · pl kwaszonka (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · yue 酸瓜 (preserved cucumber) · pt achar (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · vi dưa muối (preserved cucumber) · fi polttopallo (children's game) · it decapaggio (metalworking: bath of dilute sulphuric or nitric acid, etc.) · vi đồ chua (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · el πίκλα (preserved cucumber) · ur اچار (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · io piklo (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · ru корнишо́н (preserved cucumber) · tr turşu (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · bg туршия (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · cs šlamastyka (difficult situation) · it birichino (affectionate term for a loved one) · de Schlamassel (difficult situation) · hu savanyúság (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · el τουρσί (preserved cucumber) · sw achali (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · pl pikiel (brine used for preserving food) · it diavoletto (affectionate term for a loved one) · hy անախորժ դրություն (difficult situation) · ja ピクルス (preserved cucumber) · bg кисела краставичка (preserved cucumber) · pt conservado (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · sk kyslá uhorka (preserved cucumber) · ota سالاموره (brine used for preserving food) · cs nadělení (difficult situation) · fi peittausneste (metalworking: bath of dilute sulphuric or nitric acid, etc.) · nl zoetje (affectionate term for a loved one) · ro moare (brine used for preserving food) · uk ква́шений огіро́к (preserved cucumber) · my ချဉ်ဖတ် (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · nv taʼneeskʼánítsʼózí díkʼǫ́zhígíí (preserved cucumber) · yue 醃菜 /腌菜 (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · hy թթու դրած բանջարեղեն (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · de Gewürzgurke (preserved cucumber) · de Patsche (difficult situation) · it pasticcio (difficult situation) · tr kornişon (preserved cucumber) · de Neckball (children's game) · et marinaad (brine used for preserving food) · sv inläggning (any vegetable preserved in vinegar and consumed as relish) · fi etikkaliemi (brine used for preserving food) · uk соло́ний огіро́к (preserved cucumber) · lt raugintas agurkas (preserved cucumber)

pickle en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

[ˈpɪkɫ̩]
(Australia) audio
/ˈpɪkəl/

Etymology

From Middle English pikel (“spicy sauce served with meat or fish”), borrowed from Middle Dutch, Middle Low German pekel (“brine”). Cognate with Scots pikkill (“salt liquor, brine”), Saterland Frisian Piekele (“pickle, brine”), Dutch pekel (“pickle, brine”), Low German pekel, peckel, pickel, bickel (“pickle, brine”), German Pökel (“pickle, brine”), Icelandic pækill (“brine”).

Meanings

(ergative, transitive) To preserve food (or sometimes other things) in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution.
- We pickled the remainder of the crop.
- These cucumbers pickle very well.
(transitive) To remove high-temperature scale and oxidation from metal with heated (often sulphuric) industrial acid.
- The crew will pickle the fittings in the morning.
(in Python) To serialize.
- To illustrate how this would work in practice, consider a field designed to store and retrieve a pickled copy of any arbitrary Python object. 2008, Marty Alchin, Pro Django:
- You can now restore the pickled data. If you like, close your Python interpreter and open a new instance, to convince yourself […] 2005, Peter Norton, et al: Beginning Python:
(historical) To pour brine over a person after flogging them, as a method of punishment.
- Naval seamen could also be keel-hauled, ducked, pickled, and flogged around the fleet. [elsewhere, page 93, the book explains:] A pickled man had his flogged back washed with vinegar. 2016, Christopher P. Magra, Poseidon's Curse: British Naval Impressment and Atlantic Origins of the American Revolution, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 70:
- On Wednesday 26 May, […] I had [an enslaved man] flogged and pickled and then made Hector shit in his mouth. […] In July, […] Gave [another enslaved man] a moderate whipping, pickled him well, made Hector shit in his mouth, […] 1756, Thomas Thistlewood, diary, quoted in 2001, Glyne A. Griffith, Caribbean Cultural Identities, Bucknell University Press, page 38

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
pickel		alternative, obsolete, rare	lexicographic
pickles	Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres		lexicographic
pickled	Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part		lexicographic
pickled	Tense=Past		lexicographic
pickling	Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part		lexicographic

Deriveds

pickle up · pickling · pickled · repickle

Hypernyms

put up

Synonyms

souse · pickle up

Translations (56)

sh ukiseliti (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · nl inmaken (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · pt salmourar (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · ru ква́сить (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · lv skābēt (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · sh kiseliti (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · sv lägga in (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · cmn 腌 (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · ja 漬ける (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · ru засоли́ть (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · my ချဉ်ဖတ်တည် (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · vi muối (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · my အချဉ်ဖောက် (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · gd saill (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · nl pekelen (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · cmn 鹹菜 /咸菜 (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · bg ецвам (to remove high-temperature scale and oxidation from metal with heated industrial acid) · my အချဉ်တည် (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · ro mura (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · it decapaggio (to remove high-temperature scale and oxidation from metal with heated industrial acid) · ru маринова́ть (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · fr saler (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · es escabechar (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · uk ква́сити (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · my ကုလားတည် (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · ru заса́ливать (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · pl kisić (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · pt conservar (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · de beizen (to remove high-temperature scale and oxidation from metal with heated industrial acid) · fi säilöä (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · ru соли́ть (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · es conservar (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · mi pīkara (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · ca escabetxar (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · mk закиселува (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · nrf piclier (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · fi säilöä etikkaliemeen (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · hi अचार बनाना (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · eo pekli (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · bg мариновам (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · fi peitata (to remove high-temperature scale and oxidation from metal with heated industrial acid) · fi pikkelöidä (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · my ဆားစိမ် (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · hu savanyít (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · th ดอง (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · cmn 腌菜 (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · grc ἁλμεύω (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · de pökeln (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · hy թթու դնել (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · cs naložit (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · cmn 泡菜 (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · ca conservar (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · de einlegen (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · es encurtir (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · fi suolata (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution) · yue 醃菜 /腌菜 (to preserve food in a salt, sugar or vinegar solution)

pickle en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

[ˈpɪkɫ̩]
(Australia) audio
/ˈpɪkəl/

Etymology

Perhaps from Scottish pickle, apparently from pick + -le (diminutive suffix). Compare Scots pickil.

Meanings

(Northern-England, Scotland) A kernel; a grain (of salt, sugar, etc.)
(Northern-England, Scotland) A small or indefinite quantity or amount (of something); a little, a bit, a few. Usually in partitive construction, frequently without "of"; a single grain or kernel of wheat, barley, oats, sand or dust.
- […] ill things are like guid—they baith come bit by bit, a pickle at a time […] 1881, Robert Louis Stevenson, Thrawn Janet:
- I mind him well, and the burn we fished and the pickle things we took out, and your mother that played with us in her cutty sark, and not a shoe between us nor a bodle of money; but the green hills round us, and all we knew of the world that it lay beyond them. 1897, Stanley John Weyman, chapter XXVI, in Shrewsbury:

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
pickles	Number=Plur		lexicographic

pickle en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

[ˈpɪkɫ̩]
(Australia) audio
/ˈpɪkəl/

Etymology

Perhaps from Scottish pickle, apparently from pick + -le (diminutive suffix). Compare Scots pickil.

Meanings

(Northern-England, Scotland, ambitransitive) To eat sparingly.
(Northern-England, Scotland, ambitransitive) To pilfer.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Source
pickles	Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres	lexicographic
pickling	Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part	lexicographic
pickled	Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part	lexicographic
pickled	Tense=Past	lexicographic

pickle en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

Etymology

Meanings

Forms

Deriveds

Descendants

Relateds

Synonyms

Translations (203)

pickle en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

Etymology

Meanings

Forms

Deriveds

Hypernyms

Synonyms

Translations (56)

pickle en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

Etymology

Meanings

Forms

pickle en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

Etymology

Meanings

Forms