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Prick vs Prig - What's the difference?

prick | prig |

As nouns the difference between prick and prig

is that prick is a small hole or perforation, caused by piercing while prig is a person who demonstrates an exaggerated conformity or propriety, especially in an irritatingly arrogant or smug manner.

As verbs the difference between prick and prig

is that prick is to pierce or puncture slightly while prig is to haggle or argue over price.

prick

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) prik, prikke, from (etyl) prica, . Pejorative context came from prickers, or witch-hunters.

Noun

(en noun)
  • 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
    • Pins, wooden pricks , nails, sprigs of rosemary.
  • * Bible, Acts ix. 5
    • It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks .
  • The experience or feeling of being pierced or punctured by a small, sharp object.
    • I felt a sharp prick as the nurse took a sample of blood.
  • * A. Tucker
    • the pricks of conscience
  • (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
    • the prick of noon
  • (obsolete) The point on a target at which an archer aims; the mark; the pin.
  • * Spenser
    • they that shooten nearest the prick
    Derived terms
    * pricker * prickle * prickly * pricktease * prickteaser

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To pierce or puncture slightly.
    • John hardly felt the needle prick his arm when the adept nurse drew blood.
  • To form by piercing or puncturing.
    • to prick holes in paper
    to prick a pattern for embroidery
    to prick the notes of a musical composition
    (Cowper)
  • (dated) To be punctured; to suffer or feel a sharp pain, as by puncture.
    • A sore finger pricks .
  • To incite, stimulate, goad.
  • * (rfdate), (Shakespeare), (Two Gentlemen of Verona) , ii. 7.
    • My duty pricks me on to utter that.
  • To affect with sharp pain; to sting, as with remorse.
  • * Bible, Acts ii. 37
    • Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart.
  • * Tennyson
    • I was pricked with some reproof.
  • (archaic) To urge one's horse on; to ride quickly.
    • (Milton)
  • * 1590 , (Edmund Spenser), (The Faerie Queene) , III.1:
    • At last, as through an open plaine they yode, / They spide a knight that towards them pricked fayre [...].
  • * 1881 , :
    • Indeed, it is a memorable subject for consideration, with what unconcern and gaiety mankind pricks on along the Valley of the Shadow of Death.
  • (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.
    • (Hudibras)
  • To become sharp or acid; to turn sour, as wine.
  • To aim at a point or mark.
    • (Hawkins)
  • To fix by the point; to attach or hang by puncturing.
    • to prick a knife into a board
  • * Sandys
    • The cooks prick it [a slice] on a prong of iron.
    (Isaac Newton)
  • (obsolete) To mark or denote by a puncture; to designate by pricking; to choose; to mark.
  • * Francis Bacon
    • Some who are pricked for sheriffs.
  • * Sir Walter Scott
    • Let the soldiers for duty be carefully pricked off.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Those many, then, shall die: their names are pricked .
  • 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
    • The courser pricks up his ears.
  • (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)

    prig

    English

    Etymology 1

    Of origin.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A person who demonstrates an exaggerated conformity or propriety, especially in an irritatingly arrogant or smug manner.
  • (British, archaic) A petty thief or pickpocket
  • * William Topaz McGonagall, The Christmas Goose
    • But a policeman captur'd the naughty boy, / And gave the goose to Smiggs, / And said he was greatly bother'd / By a set of juvenile prigs .
  • (archaic) A conceited dandy; a fop.
    • Synonyms
    * (person exhibiting excess propriety) prude
    Derived terms
    * priggish

    Etymology 2

    Of origin.

    Verb

  • (Scotland) To haggle or argue over price.
  • (slang, dated) To filch or steal.
    • to prig a handkerchief

    Anagrams

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