Etymology: Apparently cognate with Middle Dutch pīke pickaxe, pruning knife, bill (Dutch piek pickaxe (obsolete), spike, point, Dutch regional pijk pickaxe), German regional (Low German) Peik pointed implement, Old Icelandic pík staff with a point or spike (in late sources; earlier as a personal nickname), Norwegian (Nynorsk) pik spike, point, (regional) peak, summit, Old Swedish piker spike, point (Swedish pik spike, point, peak, summit), and probably Gothic peika (in peika-bagms palm tree, apparently so called from its pointed leaves); further etymology uncertain and disputed (compare also Norwegian pigg spike, point, spine, peak, Old Swedish pigger spike, point, spine (Swedish pigg ), Danish pig spike, point, spine, probably an intensive formation from the same base). In Middle English reinforced by Anglo-Norman pic, pik, pike pickaxe, spike and Old French, Middle French pic (French pic ) pickaxe (second half of the 12th cent.; compare Old Occitan, Occitan pic (1149), Catalan pic (13th cent.), Spanish pico (13th cent.), Portuguese pico (13th cent.), Italian regional picco (compare Italian piccone (a1348)), all in sense ‘pickaxe, pointed implement’) < a Romance base with sense ‘point, pointed object’ (compare also Middle French, French pic prick, sting (1397; now regional)), of uncertain and disputed origin: perhaps partly a borrowing from Germanic, and partly a transferred use of the Romance base meaning ‘woodpecker’ (compare Middle French, French pic (end of the 14th cent.), Old Occitan, Occitan pic (a1149), Friulian pik , Spanish pico (14th cent.), Portuguese picanço (13th cent.; with suffix of uncertain origin; also (rare) †pico ), and also Italian picchio (a1292; probably a diminutive formation)) < classical Latin pīcus woodpecker (see piciform adj.²). A parallel verbal formation is seen in Old French, Middle French, French piquer to prick, pierce, and cognate Romance verbs listed at pick v.¹ It is unclear whether Welsh pig (noun) beak (14th cent.), (adjective) spiky (12th cent.), Cornish †pigol mattock (1701 or earlier), Breton pig , pic pickaxe (1732 or earlier) are related inherited forms or borrowings from English and French respectively. Compare pick n.¹, peak n.², peck n.²This group of words presents many difficulties both in Romance and Germanic; the pattern of borrowing within and between Romance and Germanic languages appears to have been particularly complex, with individual words and senses being borrowed in different directions and at different times, in many cases reinforcing pre-existing words or senses. This pattern is evident from earliest times right up to the modern period when such borrowings are easier to trace, e.g. the spec. sense ‘pointed weapon, pike’ which developed in Middle Dutch (the weapon is associated with Flanders), and was borrowed from there into Middle French and other languages (compare pike n.⁴), and the transferred sense ‘peak, summit’ which developed in Ibero-Romance, and was borrowed from there into other languages (compare pico n., pic n.², pike n.⁵, peak n.² 7a); in both instances parallel senses also developed independently in some languages (see discussion at these entries). In English, pike n.¹, pick n.¹, peak n.² (and peck n.²) appear to have a common origin, and share many senses; in their distribution in the standard language (in so far as they are current) pike is the form in general English use in senses 2 and 3a, 3d; in sense 1 pike is now chiefly regional (pick is the standard form). Although pike is retained in historical use in sense 4a, the general notion of a projecting point (not specially sharp or pointed) is now more usually expressed by peak n.² (see discussion at that entry). For convenience Middle English forms later than 1300 without a final -e , e.g. pik , pyk (in which the length of the stem vowel is often doubtful) have been assigned to pick n.¹; some of these examples may properly belong here. The Middle English form pic is chiefly early, and occasional slightly later examples (e.g. from Ayenbite (1340)) have been retained here as apparently showing continuity of use. With sense 2a compare also Old English hornpīc pinnacle:OE (Northumbrian) Lindisf. Gospels: Luke iv. 9 Statuit eum supra pinnam templi : sette hine ofer hornpic temples. In senses 2b and 5 attested earlier in place names; compare: (in sense 2b) Pichetorne (1086), Piketorn (1194), now Pickthorne, Shropshire; and (in sense 5) Pykemede (1447), now Peaked Field, Farnham, Surrey.

Etymology: Either a transferred use of pike n.¹, or < early Scandinavian (compare Norwegian regional pik peak, summit: see pike n.¹; also as an element in place names, compare Fjerdingspiken, Pinstipiken, etc.).Place names with pike (in sense 1) have their centre in Cumbria, e.g. the Langdale Pikes, Scafell Pike, Pike o’ Stickle, Causey Pike, Grisedale Pike, Red Pike, White Pike, Wansfell Pike, etc.; they gradually thin off in the surrounding counties, e.g. Rivington Pike in mid-Lancashire; Buckden Pike, Stoodley Pike, Haw Pike, in Yorkshire; Pontop Pike, West Pike, in County Durham; Glanton Pike, the Three Pikes, in Northumberland; Hartshorn Pike, The Pike, in Roxburghshire; The Pike in Selkirkshire, etc. It is notable that these place names predominate in areas of heavy Scandinavian settlement characterized by Scandinavian topographical names. However, the word is not restricted to place names from the Danelaw, compare Pykewyk (1268; now Pickwick, Wiltshire; the village lies on a prominent spur of land), and examples below, suggesting that it may in origin be a native transferred use, reinforced in the Danelaw by its early Scandinavian cognate. Compound place names of pike with a second element meaning ‘hill’, ‘hillock’, ‘slope’, etc., in which the basic sense of the word is presumably ‘point’ (compare pike n.¹ 2), apparently represent an intermediate stage in the development of the transferred use, e.g. Pikehurst (1289; now Pickhurst, Kent), Pycoppe (1296; now Pickup, Lancashire), Pikhilde (1491; now Pick Hill, Kent), etc. (compare also similarly formed Norwegian place names, e.g. Pikhaugen , Piksteinen , etc.). The word probably also appears in the surname of Reginald de Pike (a1272), whose home was apparently at Pickhill, Essex (earlier as Pykes (1424), la Pyke (a1483)). Apparently attested earlier as the first element in the place name Pichewelle (1086), Pikewell (1202), now Pickwell, Leicestershire; the village lies at the head of a stream and is overlooked by conical hills to the south and east. With sense 2 compare peak n.⁷, pook n.

Etymology: Probably a transferred use of pike n.¹, with reference to the fish's pointed jaw; for similar sense development compare ged n.¹, and Old French, Middle French, French brochet pike (1268–71; < broche spit (see broach n.¹) + -et -et suffix¹). Anglo-Norman pike, pyke (a1379 or earlier) is < Middle English.Apparently attested earlier in place names, as Picheburne (1086), Pikeburn (1180–5), Picburne (1279), now Pickburn, West Riding, Yorkshire; Pichemere (1154–89), Pickmere (1209), Pikemere (1236), now Pickmere, Cheshire.

Etymology: < Middle French pike, pique (c1365 in a text from Picardy; French pique ; compare also Middle French pique de Flandres (late 14th cent.)) and its etymon Middle Dutch pīke, piek, pijc (Dutch piek ), spec. use of pīke pointed implement (see pike n.¹). Compare Catalan pica (1534), Spanish pica (a1516; earlier as a native formation: see below), Portuguese pica , pique (both 1513), Italian picca (a1520), and Middle Low German pīk , German Pike (c1500), Swedish pik (1635), all ultimately borrowings from French or Dutch. A parallel sense development to the one observed in Middle Dutch from ‘pointed implement’ to ‘pointed weapon’ occurred earlier independently in related words in other languages, compare Old English pīc (see quot. OE at pike n.¹ 3a), Spanish (Aragonese) †pika pointed staff used as a weapon (c1090), and probably also Old Occitan, Occitan pica pointed staff used as a weapon (1268). Compare pick n.², peak n.⁴, and also pike n.¹With to pass (through) the pikes (see Phrases 1) compare Middle French avoir passé par les piques (1547), être passé par les piques (1553), passer les piques (1578), Italian passar per le picche (1635 in the passage translated in quot. 1654 at Phrases 1). In to sell at a pike (see Phrases 5) after classical Latin sub hasta under the spear (a spear was stuck in the ground at a public auction).

Etymology: < Spanish pico pico n.; in later use in some instances perhaps < Portuguese pico pico n. Compare early modern Dutch pijk (1602; Dutch piek ), also ultimately < Spanish or Portuguese. Compare earlier pike n.², and also peak n.² 7a, pic n.², pico n.The word is distinct from earlier pike n.², as being of much later introduction, and of general, not regional, use (although probably ultimately of the same origin, and showing a parallel sense development from ‘point, pointed object’ to ‘pointed hill or mountain’; compare also Norwegian regional pik pike n.²). From the 18th cent. largely superseded by peak n.²

Etymology: < Middle French, French pic (in à pic a-peak adv.). Compare peak n.⁵

Etymology: Short for turnpike n.

Etymology: < the name of Pike County, Missouri, whence the first of these people are said to have come to California.

Etymology: Probably a transferred use of pike n.³, so called on account of its resemblance to the pointed head of the pike. Compare German Hechtsprung , lit. ‘pike jump’ (1893 or earlier; < Hecht haked n. + Sprung jump: see spring n.¹), Dutch snoeksprong , lit. ‘pike jump’ (1924 or earlier; < snoek snoek n. + sprong jump (see spring n.¹), probably after the German word).An alternative (and less likely) etymology derives the word from French piquer une tête to dive into the water (1842 or earlier; spec. use of piquer : see pick v.¹).

Etymology: Origin uncertain; perhaps < Middle French piquer to be piquant (1393), specific use of piquer to prick, pierce (see pick v.¹). Compare Middle French, French piquant piquant adj.

Etymology: Probably originally a specific reflexive use of pick v.¹ with the literal meaning ‘to provide oneself with a pike or pilgrim's staff (pike n.¹ 3a)’; with the sense development compare to cut one's stick at cut v. 44. Compare German regional (Low German) afpeken, Norwegian pigge av, Swedish regional pikka åstad, Danish pikke af, all in sense ‘to hurry off, go away’.An alternative derivation < Middle French piquer to spur (1456–67; French piquer ), spec. use of piquer to pierce (see pick v.¹), has also been suggested.

Etymology: Origin uncertain; perhaps a transferred use of pick v.¹ (compare β. forms at that entry), although the semantic development is difficult to account for. With sense 2 compare French piquer au vent (1773), piquer dans le vent (19th cent.).

Etymology: < pike n.⁴

Etymology: < pike n.² Sc. National Dict., s.v., records the word as still in use in southern Scotland in 1965.