I. ˈpi-kəl noun
Etymology: Middle English pykyl, pekill sauce, gravy, from or akin to Middle Dutch peeckel brine
Date: 15th century
1. : a solution or bath for preserving or cleaning: as
a. : a brine or vinegar solution in which foods are preserved
b. : any of various baths used in industrial cleaning or processing
2. : a difficult situation : plight
could see no way out of the pickle I was in — R. L. Stevenson
3. : an article of food that has been preserved in brine or in vinegar ; specifically : a cucumber that has been so preserved
II. transitive verb
( pick·led ; pick·ling -k(ə-)liŋ)
Date: 1570
1. : to treat, preserve, or clean in or with a pickle
2. : to give a light finish to (as furniture) by bleaching or painting and wiping
III. noun
Etymology: perhaps from Scots pickle to trifle, pilfer
Date: 1552
1. Scottish : grain , kernel
2. Scottish : a small quantity