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Today's word: pricking
prick·ing

This page provides all possible meanings and translations of the word pricking

Princeton's WordNet

  1. prick, prickingnoun

    the act of puncturing with a small point

    "he gave the balloon a small prick"

Wikipedia

  1. Pricking

    During the height of the witch trials of the 16th and 17th centuries, common belief held that a witch could be discovered through the process of pricking their skin with needles, pins and bodkins – daggerlike instruments for drawing ribbons through hems or punching holes in cloth. This practice derived from the belief that all witches and sorcerers bore a witch's mark that would not feel pain or bleed when pricked. The mark alone was not enough to convict a person, but did add to the evidence. Pricking was common practice throughout Europe. Professional witch finders earned a good living from unmasking witches, travelling from town to town to perform their services. Hollow wooden handles and retractable points have been saved from these finders, which would give the appearance of an accused witch's flesh being penetrated to the hilt without mark, blood, or pain. Other specially designed needles have been found with a sharp end and a blunt end. Through sleight of hand, the sharp end could be used on "normal" flesh, drawing blood and causing pain, while the unseen dull end would be used on a supposed witch's mark.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Pricking

    of Prick

  2. Prickingnoun

    the act of piercing or puncturing with a sharp point

  3. Prickingnoun

    the driving of a nail into a horse's foot so as to produce lameness

  4. Prickingnoun

    same as Nicking

  5. Prickingnoun

    a sensation of being pricked

  6. Prickingnoun

    the mark or trace left by a hare's foot; a prick; also, the act of tracing a hare by its footmarks

  7. Prickingnoun

    dressing one's self for show; prinking

Wikidata

  1. Pricking

    During the height of the witch trials of the 16th and 17th centuries, common belief held that a witch could be discovered through the process of pricking their skin with needles, pins and bodkins - daggerlike instruments for drawing ribbons through hems or punching holes in cloth. This practice derived from the belief that all witches and sorcerers bore a witch's mark that would not feel pain or bleed when pricked. The mark alone was not enough to convict a person, but did add to the evidence. Pricking was common practice throughout Europe, but was most prevalent in England and Scotland. Professional witch finders earned a good living from unmasking witches, travelling from town to town to perform their services. Hollow wooden handles and retractable points have been saved from these finders, which would give the appearance of an accused witch's flesh being penetrated to the hilt without mark, blood, or pain. Other specially designed needles have been found with a sharp end and a blunt end. Through sleight of hand, the sharp end could be used on "normal" flesh, drawing blood and causing pain, a process which appeared to mount further evidence against the accused, while the dull end would be used on a supposed witch's mark.

Matched Categories

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How to say pricking in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of pricking in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of pricking in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of pricking in a Sentence

  1. William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 2:

    If Love be rough with you, be rough with Love, prick Love for pricking, and you beat Love down.

  2. William Shakespeare:

    By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes. Open, locks, Whoever knocks

  3. William Shakespeare, "Macbeth", Act 4 scene 1:

    By the pricking of my thumbs,Something wicked this way comes. Open, locks, Whoever knocks!


Translations for pricking

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1 Comment
  • TKD
    The word "Impugn" is widely used in judiciary. 
    LikeReply 83 years ago

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a state of irritation or annoyance
A descant
B suffuse
C excogitate
D huff

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