n.
Function: transitive verb
Date: before 12th century
1 : to pierce slightly with a sharp point
2 : to affect with anguish, grief, or remorse <doubt began to prick him ― Philip Hale>
3 : to ride, guide, or urge on with or as if with spurs : GOAD
4 : to mark, distinguish, or note by means of a small mark
5 : to trace or outline with punctures
6 : to remove (a young seedling) from the seedbed to another suitable for further growth ― usually used with out
7 : to cause to be or stand erect <a dog prick ing its ears>
intransitive verb
1 a : to prick something or cause a pricking sensation b : to feel discomfort as if from being pricked
2 a : to urge a horse with the spur b : to ride fast
3 : THRUST
4 : to become directed upward : POINT
– prick up one's ears : to listen intently