PRICKING

To pierce or puncture slightly.

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

To form by piercing or puncturing.

Example: "To prick a pattern for embroidery"

To mark or denote by a puncture; to designate by pricking; to choose; to mark.

To mark the surface of (something) with pricks or dots; especially, to trace a ship’s course on (a chart).

To run a middle seam through the cloth of a sail.

To fix by the point; to attach or hang by puncturing.

Example: "To prick a knife into a board"

To be punctured; to suffer or feel a sharp pain, as by puncture.

Example: "A sore finger pricks."

To make or become sharp; to erect into a point; to raise, as something pointed; said especially of the ears of an animal, such as a horse or dog; and usually followed by up.

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

Usually in the form prick out: to plant (seeds or seedlings) in holes made in soil at regular intervals.

To incite, stimulate, goad.

To urge one's horse on; to ride quickly.

To affect with sharp pain; to sting, as with remorse.

To make acidic or pungent.

To become sharp or acid; to turn sour, as wine.

To aim at a point or mark.

Usually as prick up: to dress or adorn; to prink.