Pricked

Pricked is the past tense and past participle of the verb prick. It broadly means to pierce or puncture with a pointed object, or to cause a sharp, tingling pain. The result can be a small hole or puncture, or a brief sensation of pain. The term can also describe slight punctures or puncturing actions that are not deeply damaging.

In everyday use, a finger may be pricked by a needle, a plant can prick the skin with a thorn, or a pin may leave a small hole or mark. Pricking can be accidental or deliberate, and the object involved is typically sharp or pointed.

In horticulture, pricking out is the process of transplanting young seedlings from a seed tray into individual pots or garden beds; the seedlings that have been pricked out are moved to grow on in more spacious conditions.

In medicine, a skin prick test uses small pricks on the skin with allergens to evaluate allergic reactions; a positive result appears as redness and swelling at the test site.

Idiomatic uses include “prick up one’s ears,” meaning to suddenly become attentive or curious. The word can also describe physical puncturing in crafts or textiles, where small holes or marks are created with pointed tools.