Prickles

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Small sharp points protruding from surfaces like plant stems or animal skin ; to cause a slight stinging or tingling feeling on the skin or in a part of the body
2. Tiny pointed projections such as on thorns or spines ; to produce a sensation of mild discomfort or itching that feels like small needles pricking the skin
3. Brief, sharp points that can be felt on something's surface ; to induce a prickling or tingling sensation often associated with irritation or excitement

Etymology: Prickles is the plural of "prickle," and the noun itself is older than most of its relatives: it was already in use in Old English, where "pricel" meant a sharp point or a small bit. Old English speakers seem to have blended two earlier Germanic forms, one of which ended in an "-il" suffix, and the result passed into Middle English as "prykkyl" before settling into the spelling we use now. The word is built from "prick" with the diminutive-style ending "-le," so a prickle is literally a little prick. Its cousins across the Germanic languages show the same pattern: Dutch "prikkel" still means both a sting and a stimulus, and West Frisian "prikel" means a goad. That shared sense of a small jab, whether physical or figurative, explains why the English noun drifted from the spines of plants toward the tingling sensation on skin.

Synonyms: spines, thorns, needles