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# prick

«prick» in Mova's judaism dictionary: **To make a tiny hole in something with a sharp point, like…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 4 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

verb (prick, pricks, pricked, pricking); noun (a prick, pricks)

### meaning for a pupil

1) To make a tiny hole in something with a sharp point, like a needle or a thorn. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/prick/#m1)

2) A small sharp pain, or the tiny mark made by a sharp point. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/prick/#m2)

3) "Prick up its ears": when an animal raises its ears to listen carefully. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/prick/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: To pierce slightly with a sharp point. In the Psalms it describes sharp inner pain, as the psalmist's heart was in a ferment and he was pricked in his reins (his kidneys, meaning his inmost feelings). Interpretation: The tradition reads this as the pain of a good person who is troubled to see the wicked prosper, until he understands God's ways. In the primary lessons: In everyday life you can prick your finger on a rose thorn, a needle or a pin; a nurse may prick your finger to test a drop of blood. In cooking, you prick sausages or potatoes with a fork so they do not burst. In stories, a dog "pricks up its ears" when it hears a sound. Phrases: prick your finger, prick up its ears, a pin prick.

### examples

- For my heart was in a ferment, and I was pricked in my reins. (Writings PSA.73.21, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/prick/#x1)
- I pricked my finger on a rose thorn. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/prick/#x2)
- Prick the potatoes with a fork before baking them. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/prick/#x3)
- The nurse pricked my finger to check my blood. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/prick/#x4)
- The dog pricked up its ears when it heard the gate. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/prick/#x5)
- I felt a little prick when I got the injection. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/prick/#x6)
- In the fairy tale, the princess pricks her finger on a spinning wheel. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/prick/#x7)
- Be careful not to prick yourself with the sewing needle. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/prick/#x8)
- The Shepherd Dogs pricked up their ears. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/prick/#x9)

### note

Regular verb: prick, pricked, pricking. Countable noun: a prick, pricks. Safety: wash a finger pricked by a thorn and tell an adult if it gets red or sore; never pick up used needles. The word also has a rude slang meaning as an insult, which pupils should not use.

### In the corpora

- [For my heart was in a ferment, and I was pricked in my reins.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/PSA.1241/)
- [Ears pricked forward mean a horse is interested; ears pinned flat back are a warning that it is angry or annoyed.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/207-horses-and-ponies-how-they-eat-see-sleep-and-live-in-herds/8/)
- [A needle prick from a used needle can pass on serious illnesses, so needles are only picked up by trained adults.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/228-parks-and-playgrounds/24/)
- [Knitting and sewing needles are kept in a pincushion and counted back, so none are left to prick people or pets.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/245-crafts-scissors-glue-and-paint/15/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «prick» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/prick/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.