prickle
noun/ˈprɪkl/
/ˈprɪkl/
- a small sharp part on the stem or leaf of a plant or on the skin of some animals
- a cactus covered in prickles
- a slight stinging feeling on the skin
- a prickle of fear/excitement
Word OriginOld English pricel ‘instrument for pricking, sensation of being pricked’; related to Middle Dutch prickel, from the Germanic base of prick. The verb is partly a diminutive of the verb prick.
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