prickle
4 synonyms for prickle, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A small sharp point on something, often a plant, such as a thorn.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Etymology
Comes from Middle English prykkyl, prykyl, which developed from Old English pricel, pricels, pricle (“a prickle, sharp point, bit”), itself from a conflation of Proto-West Germanic *prikislī and *prikil (“prickle”). Looked at simply by its parts, it appears to be prick plus -le. It is cognate with West Frisian prikel (...
Full origin of prickle →