pickle (ˈpɪkəll
)
Definitions
noun
- (often plural) vegetables, such as cauliflowers, onions, etc, preserved in vinegar, brine, etc
- any food preserved in this way
- a liquid or marinade, such as spiced vinegar, for preserving vegetables, meat, fish, etc
- mainly US Canadian a cucumber that has been preserved and flavoured in a pickling solution, such as brine or vinegar
- informal an awkward or difficult situation ⇒
to be in a pickle
- British informal a mischievous child
verb (tr)
- to preserve in a pickling liquid
- to immerse (a metallic object) in a liquid, such as an acid, to remove surface scale
Alternative Forms
ˈpickler nounWord Origin
C14: perhaps from Middle Dutch pekel; related to German Pökel brineSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
predicament,
spot,
fix,
difficulty,
bind,
jam,
dilemma,
scrape,
hot water
uphill,
quandary,
tight spot,
Usage examples
`He's in a right old pickle ,' she said, shaking her head, furiously cleaning her gleaming sink.
, MAN AND WIFE (2002)Meanwhile, speculation abounds that the villain in Rao's upcoming novel is a pickle salesman.
India Today (1998)This vegetable pickle is great with cold meats or as part of a salad.
Courier, Sunday Mail (2005)Every burger needs the tang of a good pickle or relish.
Times, Sunday Times (2002)Arrange tomato and pickle slices on top of the burgers, then put the top half of the bun on top of that.
, Asthma and Eczema - special diet cookbook (1989)