piken

Middle English

/ˈpikən/

verb
Definitions
  • To pick at; to use a edged tool on (a surface)
  • To pierce or deal a blow using the mouth.
  • To grab a part of one's body with one's fingernails or teeth
  • To remove with a sharp point; pick away; to remove undesired substances via the means of picking.
  • To remove by means of grabbing or forcing; to take or grasp.
  • To cleanse or tidy; to ensure one's own cleanliness.
  • To pick, decide or elect; to make a choice or declare a preference.
  • To gain possession of; to grab or grasp.
  • To acquire or grasp an intangible mental quality such as knowledge, skill, or disposition; to gain.
  • To seize, burgle, or pickpocket; to take illegally or illegitimately.
  • (rare) To depart, leave, venture out.

Etymology

Inherited from Old English *piccian inherited from *pikkōn inherited from Proto-Germanic *pikkōną (peck, prick, pick) affix from Middle English pyke (pike, sharp point, point).

Origin

Middle English

pyke

Gloss

pike, sharp point, point

Concept
Semantic Field

Animals

Ontological Category

Person/Thing

Emoji

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms