Word of the Day May 2, 2024 [archive]
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Today's word: pricking
This page provides all possible meanings and translations of the word pricking
Princeton's WordNet
prick, pricking(noun)
the act of puncturing with a small point
"he gave the balloon a small prick"
Wikipedia
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
Pricking
of Prick
Pricking(noun)
the act of piercing or puncturing with a sharp point
Pricking(noun)
the driving of a nail into a horse's foot so as to produce lameness
Pricking(noun)
same as Nicking
Pricking(noun)
a sensation of being pricked
Pricking(noun)
the mark or trace left by a hare's foot; a prick; also, the act of tracing a hare by its footmarks
Pricking(noun)
dressing one's self for show; prinking
Wikidata
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
How to pronounce pricking?
How to say pricking in sign language?
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of pricking in Chaldean Numerology is: 7
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of pricking in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6
Examples of pricking in a Sentence
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.
By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes. Open, locks, Whoever knocks
William Shakespeare, "Macbeth", Act 4 scene 1:
By the pricking of my thumbs,Something wicked this way comes. Open, locks, Whoever knocks!
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