pickle
pickle Lexical Profile
pickle Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A cucumber or other vegetable that has been preserved in brine, vinegar, or a similar acidic solution.
"She ordered a grilled cheese sandwich with a side of potato chips and a dill pickle."
A difficult, complicated, or messy situation (informal).
"We found ourselves in quite a pickle when the car broke down miles from the nearest town."
A liquid, such as a salt and water solution or vinegar, used to preserve food, or an acid bath used for cleaning metal.
"The silversmith dipped the finished jewelry into the pickle to remove the surface oxidation."
• verb
To preserve food or other perishable items by immersing them in brine or vinegar.
"They plan to pickle the excess cucumbers and jalapeños from their summer garden."
To clean or treat the surface of metal by dipping it into an acidic chemical solution.
"The manufacturer must pickle the steel wire to remove scale before it undergoes the final coating process."
• Rhymes for pickle
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'pikel' (a spicy sauce or gravy served with meat or fowl), likely borrowed from Middle Dutch 'pekel' (brine).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.