pike

Where “pike” sits in English frequency

Definition

1. 1
   A very long spear used two-handed by infantry soldiers for thrusting (not throwing), both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as a countermeasure against cavalry assaults.
2. 2
   A sharp, pointed staff or implement.
3. 3
   A large haycock (“conical stack of hay left in a field to dry before adding to a haystack”).
4. 4
   Any carnivorous freshwater fish of the genus Esox, especially the northern pike, Esox lucius.
5. 5
   A position with the knees straight and a tight bend at the hips with the torso folded over the legs, usually part of a jack-knife.
6. 6
   A pointy extrusion at the toe of a shoe.
7. 7
   A pointy extrusion at the toe of a shoe.
8. 8
   Especially in place names: a hill or mountain, particularly one with a sharp peak or summit.
9. 9
   A pick, a pickaxe.
10. 10
    A hayfork.
11. 11
    A penis.

Etymology

From Middle English pyke, pyk, pik, pike (“pike; sharp point, iron tip of a staff or spear, pointed toe of an item of footwear; sharp tool; mountain, peak”), from Old English pīc (“pointed object, pick axe”), and Middle French pique (“long thrusting weapon”), from Old French pic (“sharp point, spike”); both ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *pīk, from Proto-Germanic *pīkaz, *pīkō (“sharp point, pike, peak”), related to pick with a narrower meaning. The word is cognate with Middle Dutch pecke, peke, picke (modern Dutch piek), German Pike, Norwegian pik, Danish pig, and possibly Old Irish pīk. It is a doublet of pique. The diving or gymnastics position is probably from tapered appearance of the body when the position is executed. The carnivorous freshwater fish is probably derived from the “sharp point, spike” senses, due to the fish’s pointed jaws. The verb sense “to quit or back out of a promise” may be from the sense of taking up pilgrim's staff or pike and leaving on a pilgrimage; and compare Middle English pī̆ken (“to go, remove oneself”) and Old Danish pikke af (“to go away”).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ipke,piek,pikke,pkie,ppike

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of pike - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

Frequently Asked Questions