pike

1 of 8

noun (1)

ˈpīk How to pronounce pike (audio)
Synonyms of pikenext
1
: pikestaff sense 1
2
: a sharp point or spike
also : the tip of a spear
piked
ˈpīkt How to pronounce pike (audio)
adjective

pike

2 of 8

noun (2)

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

pike

3 of 8

noun (3)

plural pike or pikes
1
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: such as
(1)
: muskellunge
(2)
: pickerel
2
: any of various fishes resembling the pike in appearance or habits

pike

4 of 8

noun (4)

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

pike

5 of 8

verb (1)

piked; piking

transitive verb

: to pierce, kill, or wound with a pike

pike

6 of 8

verb (2)

piked; piking

intransitive verb

1
: to leave abruptly
get lonely and sore, and pike out—Sinclair Lewis
2
: to make one's way
pike along

pike

7 of 8

noun (5)

1
: turnpike
2
: a railroad or railroad line or system

pike

8 of 8

noun (6)

: 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
Phrases
down the pike
1
: in the course of events
the greatest boxer to come down the pike in years
2
: in the future
today's advances only hint at what's down the pike

Synonyms

Noun (1)

Noun (2)

Noun (3)

Verb (2)

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of pike in a Sentence

Noun (1) you can take the pike all the way to the city Noun (2) a foot soldier armed with a pike Noun (3) the spear's metal pike was designed to cause a gaping wound when it was pulled out of the victim Verb (2) early next morning the aloof guest just piked out without saying a word
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Don't let your hips drop or pike up; pull your belly button up toward your spine and push the floor away from you with your hands. —Mallory Creveling, Health, 3 Sep. 2023 Young also began the competition strong, earning sevens on her first dive, a forward three 1/2 somersaults pike for a total score of 63. —USA TODAY, 5 Aug. 2021
Noun
Like, legalization of the demon weed in most states… plus, about a million more camp musicals that have come down the pike since then, maybe lessening any obvious need to bring back a show satirizing long-bygone pot paranoia. —Chris Willman, Variety, 16 June 2024 The adjustments were small, easily hurtled: her school was welcoming, her friends supportive (there’s a lovely generation coming down the pike, by the way). —Ethan Rutherford, TIME, 14 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for pike 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pike.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English pīc pickax

Noun (2)

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

Noun (3)

Middle English, from pike entry 1

Noun (4)

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

Verb (2)

Middle English pyken (reflexive)

Noun (6)

perhaps from pike entry 3

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (4)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

1787, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

circa 1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (5)

1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (6)

1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pike was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing pike

Dictionary Entries Near pike

pikake

pike

Pike

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Pike.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pike. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.

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Kids Definition

pike

1 of 4 noun
ˈpīk How to pronounce pike (audio)
1
: pikestaff sense 1
2
: a sharp point or spike (as the tip of a spear)
piked
ˈpīkt How to pronounce pike (audio)
adjective

pike

2 of 4 noun
plural pike or pikes
1
: a large freshwater fish with a long body and long snout that is valued for food and sport and is widely distributed in cool northern waters
2
: any of various fishes related to or like the pike

pike

3 of 4 noun
: a long wooden pole with a steel point once used as a weapon

pike

4 of 4 noun
: turnpike
Etymology

Noun

Old English pic "pick used for digging"

Noun

Middle English pike "a fish," from pic "a pick used for digging"

Noun

from early French pique "a long weapon of war," from piquer "to prick," probably derived from a Latin word picus "woodpecker" — related to pick entry 1

Noun

a shortened form of turnpike

Biographical Definition

Pike

biographical name

ˈpīk How to pronounce Pike (audio)
Zebulon Montgomery 1779–1813 American general and explorer

More from Merriam-Webster on pike

Nglish: Translation of pike for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of pike for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pike

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