Prick

Pins, wooden pricks, nails, sprigs of rosemary.

It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

I felt a sharp prick as the nurse took a sample of blood.

1768–1777, Abraham Tucker, The Light of Nature Pursued the pricks of conscience

Patriarchal attitudes have made a society where men rule and women obey, where "you'd-better-know-your-place-boy," where gay men actually play husband-and-wife (my lover and I did it for four years, until it became intolerable), where king prick lays down the law.

the prick of noon

they that shooten nearest the prick

John hardly felt the needle prick his arm when the adept nurse drew blood.

They had shot at old Tom, the hare, too, but he is still alive; at least I pricked him yesterday morn across the path into the turnip field.

to prick holes in paper

to prick a pattern for embroidery

to prick the notes of a musical composition

When, playing with thy vestute's tissued flowers, The violet, the pink, and jessamine, I pricked them into paper with a pit

c. 1620, Francis Bacon, letter of advice to Sir George Villiers Some who are pricked for sheriffs.

And, hark ye—let the soldiers for duty be carefully pricked off; and see that none of them be more or less partakers of your debauch.

Those many, then, shall die: their names are pricked.

The cooks [...]prick it [a slice] on a prog of iron.

I caused the edges of two knives to be ground truly strait; and pricking their points into a board, so that their edges might look towards one another, and, meeting near their points, contain a rectilinear angle

A sore finger pricks.

By the pricking of my thumbs, / Something wicked this way comes.

The dog's ears pricked up at the sound of a whistle.

The courser [...] pricks up his ears.

Seed should be sown thinly and evenly to enable seedlings to be pricked out without disturbing those that have just emerged. If there is space, seedlings should be pricked out individually, either into small pots or module trays.

All three germinate well in pots and can be pricked out and potted on with no problems. [...] Grass seeds can be collected as the heads begin to break up. Sow them in late spring, prick out small bundles of seedlings into 7.5cm (3in) pots and transplant them in late May.

Geoff might prefer to "take control": to collect seed and sow it next spring, pricking out a few of the best seedlings, growing them on in pots next summer before planting them out in the autumn.

My duty pricks me on to utter that.

At last, as through an open plaine they yode, They spide a knight that towards them pricked fayre [...].

Part, on the plain or in the air sublime, / Upon the wing or in swift race contend, / As at the Olympian games or Pythian fields; / Part curb their fiery steed, or shun the goal / With rapid wheel, or fronted brigads form : / As when, to warn proud cities, war appears / Waged in the trouble sky, and armies rush / To battle in the clouds; before each van / Prick forth the aery knights, and couch their spears / Till thickest legions close; with feats of arms / From either end of heaven the welkin burns.

Indeed, it is a memorable subject for consideration, with what unconcern and gaiety mankind pricks on along the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart.

[…] I was prick'd with some reproof, / As one that let foul wrong stagnate and be, / By having look'd too much thro' alien eyes, / And wrought too long with delegated hands, / Not used mine own: […]

Three days remained till Beltane's Eve, and throughout this time it was noted that Heriotside behaved like one possessed. It may be that his conscience pricked him, or that he had a glimpse of his sin and its coming punishment.

For then their late Attracts decline, And turn as eager as prick'd Wine

This prayse belongeth to stronge shootinge and drawinge of mightye bowes, not to prickinge, and nere shootinge.

With Broad-arrow, or But, or Prick, or Rouing Shaft, At Markes full fortie score, they vs'd to Prick, and Roue.