/ paɪk; NAmE /
■ noun , verb
1.
( pl. pike ) a large freshwater fish with very sharp teeth
2.
a weapon with a sharp blade on a long wooden handle, used in the past by soldiers on foot
3.
( NAmE ) = turnpike
4.
( dialect ) a pointed top of a hill in the north of England
•
IDIOMS
- come down the pike
■ verb
[ v ] ( AustralE , NZE , informal )
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- pike out
- pike on sb
••
WORD ORIGIN
sense 1 Middle English : from pike weapon (because of the fish's pointed jaw).
sense 2 and sense 4 early 16th cent.: from French pique , back-formation from piquer pierce, from pic pick, pike; compare with Old English pīc point, prick (of unknown origin). Sense 4 is apparently of Scandinavian origin; compare with West Norwegian dialect pīk pointed mountain.