Prick vs Prank - What's the difference?
prick | prank |
A small hole or perforation, caused by piercing.
An indentation or small mark made with a pointed object.
(obsolete) A dot or other diacritical mark used in writing; a point.
(obsolete) A tiny particle; a small amount of something; a jot.
A small pointed object.
* Shakespeare
* Bible, Acts ix. 5
The experience or feeling of being pierced or punctured by a small, sharp object.
* A. Tucker
(slang, vulgar) The penis.
(slang, pejorative) Someone (especially a man or boy) who is unpleasant, rude or annoying.
(now, historical) A small roll of yarn or tobacco.
The footprint of a hare.
(obsolete) A point or mark on the dial, noting the hour.
* Shakespeare
(obsolete) The point on a target at which an archer aims; the mark; the pin.
* Spenser
To pierce or puncture slightly.
To form by piercing or puncturing.
(dated) To be punctured; to suffer or feel a sharp pain, as by puncture.
To incite, stimulate, goad.
* (rfdate), (Shakespeare), (Two Gentlemen of Verona) , ii. 7.
To affect with sharp pain; to sting, as with remorse.
* Bible, Acts ii. 37
* Tennyson
(archaic) To urge one's horse on; to ride quickly.
* 1590 , (Edmund Spenser), (The Faerie Queene) , III.1:
* 1881 , :
(transitive, chiefly, nautical) To mark the surface of (something) with pricks or dots; especially, to trace a ship’s course on (a chart).
(nautical, obsolete) To run a middle seam through the cloth of a sail. (The Universal Dictionary of the English Language, 1896)
To make acidic or pungent.
To become sharp or acid; to turn sour, as wine.
To aim at a point or mark.
To fix by the point; to attach or hang by puncturing.
* Sandys
(obsolete) To mark or denote by a puncture; to designate by pricking; to choose; to mark.
* Francis Bacon
* Sir Walter Scott
* Shakespeare
To make sharp; to erect into a point; to raise, as something pointed; said especially of the ears of an animal, such as a horse or dog; and usually followed by up .
* Dryden
(obsolete) To dress; to prink; usually with up .
(farriery) To drive a nail into (a horse's foot), so as to cause lameness.
(Webster 1913)
(obsolete) An evil deed; a malicious trick, an act of cruel deception.
*, II.4.2.ii:
A practical joke or mischievous trick.
* Shakespeare
* Sir Walter Raleigh
To adorn in a showy manner; to dress or equip ostentatiously.
* Spenser
* 1748 , , B:II
* 1880 , For Spring, by Sandro Botticelli , lines 2–3
To make ostentatious show.
* M. Arnold
To perform a practical joke on; to trick.
* {{quote-news, year=2007, date=May 13, author=Karen Crouse, title=Still Invitation Only, but Jets Widen Door for Camp, work=New York Times
, passage=“If someone’s pranking me,” Rowlands remembered thinking, “they’re going to great lengths to make it work.” }}
(slang) To call someone's phone and promptly hang up
(obsolete) Full of gambols or tricks.
(Webster 1913)
English transitive verbs
In obsolete|lang=en terms the difference between prick and prank
is that prick is (obsolete) to dress; to prink; usually with up while prank is (obsolete) full of gambols or tricks.In lang=en terms the difference between prick and prank
is that prick is to become sharp or acid; to turn sour, as wine while prank is to perform a practical joke on; to trick.As nouns the difference between prick and prank
is that prick is a small hole or perforation, caused by piercing while prank is (obsolete) an evil deed; a malicious trick, an act of cruel deception.As verbs the difference between prick and prank
is that prick is to pierce or puncture slightly while prank is to adorn in a showy manner; to dress or equip ostentatiously.As an adjective prank is
(obsolete) full of gambols or tricks.prick
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) prik, prikke, from (etyl) prica, . Pejorative context came from prickers, or witch-hunters.Noun
(en noun)- Pins, wooden pricks , nails, sprigs of rosemary.
- It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks .
- I felt a sharp prick as the nurse took a sample of blood.
- the pricks of conscience
- the prick of noon
- they that shooten nearest the prick
Derived terms
* pricker * prickle * prickly * pricktease * prickteaserEtymology 2
From (etyl) .Verb
(en verb)- John hardly felt the needle prick his arm when the adept nurse drew blood.
- to prick holes in paper
- to prick a pattern for embroidery
- to prick the notes of a musical composition
- (Cowper)
- A sore finger pricks .
- My duty pricks me on to utter that.
- Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart.
- I was pricked with some reproof.
- (Milton)
- At last, as through an open plaine they yode, / They spide a knight that towards them pricked fayre [...].
- Indeed, it is a memorable subject for consideration, with what unconcern and gaiety mankind pricks on along the Valley of the Shadow of Death.
- (Hudibras)
- (Hawkins)
- to prick a knife into a board
- The cooks prick it [a slice] on a prong of iron.
- (Isaac Newton)
- Some who are pricked for sheriffs.
- Let the soldiers for duty be carefully pricked off.
- Those many, then, shall die: their names are pricked .
- The courser pricks up his ears.
prank
English
Noun
(en noun)- Hercules, after all his mad pranks upon his wife and children, was perfectly cured by a purge of hellebor, which an Antieyrian administered unto him.
- His pranks have been too broad to bear with.
- The harpies played their accustomed pranks .
- Pranks may be funny, but remember that some people are aggressive.
- He pulled a gruesome prank on his sister.
Synonyms
* See alsoDerived terms
* prankish * pranksome * pranksterVerb
- In sumptuous tire she joyed herself to prank .
- And there a Sea?on atween June and May,
- Half prankt with Spring, with Summer half imbrown'd,
- A li?tle?s Climate made, where, Sooth to ?ay,
- No living Wight could work, ne cared even for Play.
- ''Flora, wanton-eyed
- ''For birth, and with all flowrets prankt and pied:
- White houses prank where once were huts.
citation
- Hey man, prank me when you wanna get picked up.
- I don't have your number in my phone, can you prank me?