dick
/ˈdɪk/
noun
Core
1.n.someone who is a detective
2.n.obscene terms for penis
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dick and prick share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. dick means “someone who is a detective”. prick means “make a small hole into, as with a needle or a thorn”. dick is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈdɪk/
1.n.someone who is a detective
2.n.obscene terms for penis
/ˈpɹɪk/
1.v.make a small hole into, as with a needle or a thorn
“The nurse pricked my finger to get a small blood sample”
2.v.cause a stinging pain
“The needle pricked his skin”
3.v.raise
“The dog pricked up his ears”
| dick | prick | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɪk/ | /ˈpɹɪk/ |
| Said | dik | prik |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 4 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | noun | verb, noun |
| Senses | 2 | 11 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | gumshoe, hawkshaw | prickle |
Full entry for dick · Full entry for prick · More comparisons