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¹pike

noun \ˈpīk\

Definition of PIKE

: pikestaff 1

: a sharp point or spike; also : the tip of a spear

— piked \ˈpīkt\ adjective

Origin of PIKE

Middle English, from Old English pīc pickax

First Known Use: 13th century

Rhymes with PIKE

bike, dike, fyke, haik, hike, like, mike, psych, shrike, sike, spike, strike, trike, tyke

²pike

noun

Definition of PIKE

dial English

: a mountain or hill having a peaked summit —used especially in place names

Origin of PIKE

Middle English, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect pīk pointed mountain

First Known Use: 13th century

³pike

noun

plural pike or pikes

Definition of PIKE

a : a large elongate long-snouted freshwater bony fish (Esox lucius) valued for food and sport and widely distributed in cooler parts of the northern hemisphere —called also northern, northern pike

b : any of various fishes (family Esocidae) related to the pike: as (1) : muskellunge (2) : pickerel

: any of various fishes resembling the pike in appearance or habits

Origin of PIKE

Middle English, from ¹pike

First Known Use: 14th century

Other Fishes Terms

char, chum, ichthyology, smelt, tetra, turbot

⁴pike

noun

Definition of PIKE

: a heavy spear with a very long shaft used by infantry especially in Europe from the Middle Ages to the 18th century

Origin of PIKE

Middle French pique, from piquer to prick, from Vulgar Latin *piccare, perhaps from Latin picus woodpecker — more at pie

First Known Use: circa 1511

⁵pike

verb

pikedpik·ing

Definition of PIKE

transitive verb

: to pierce, kill, or wound with a pike

First Known Use of PIKE

1798

⁶pike

verb

pikedpik·ing

Definition of PIKE

intransitive verb

: to leave abruptly <get lonely and sore, and pike out — Sinclair Lewis>

: to make one's way <pike along>

Origin of PIKE

Middle English pyken (reflexive)

First Known Use: 1526

⁷pike

noun

Definition of PIKE

: turnpike

: a railroad or railroad line or system

— down the pike

: in the course of events <the greatest boxer to come down the pike in years>

: in the future <today's advances only hint at what's down the pike>

First Known Use of PIKE

1812

Other Transportation Terms

camber, corduroy, demurrage, milestone

⁸pike

noun

Definition of PIKE

: a body position (as in diving) in which the hips are bent, the knees are straight, and the hands touch the toes or clasp the legs behind or just above the knees