rick
/ɹɪk/noun, verb
rick is spelled R-I-C-K: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears 21 times per million words in written English, the 4,153rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data, counting Rick, the name). As a noun, rick means “Straw, hay etc. stored in a stack for winter fodder, commonly protected with thatch” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of rick is ricks.
How many letters and syllables are in rick?
| Letters | 4: R-I-C-K |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 21 times per million words; the 4,153rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is rick?
Rick appears 21 times per million words in written English, the 4,153rd most frequent word form in the list. The list counts every capitalisation together, so this includes Rick, the name.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce rick?
- UK /ɹɪk/
Rick has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What rhymes with rick?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as rick from its last stressed vowel (/ɪk/, British pronunciation):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of rick
- ricks plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- ruck
- ricking participle, present
- ricked participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does rick mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Straw, hay etc. stored in a stack for winter fodder, commonly protected with thatch.
- 2
USA stack of wood, especially cut to a regular length; also used as a measure of wood, typically four by eight feet.
- 3
A sharp or sudden move; a jerk or tug.
- 4
A noise, rattling.
- 5
A new and naive boot camp inductee.
No turning back now, rick: you are the property of the US government now.
verb
- 1
To heap up (hay, etc.) in ricks.
- 2
To slightly sprain or strain the neck, back, ankle etc; to wrench.
- 3
To pierce with a hook by means of a sudden jerk or pull.
- 4
To rattle, jingle, make a noise; to chatter.
- 5
To grumble.
- 6
To scold.
- 7
To raffle.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Rick in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense stack or pile, of straw, hay etc:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | meule |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does rick come from?
From Middle English *rykke, from Old English hrycce (“rick, heap, pile”), cognate with Scots ruk (“rick”), Norwegian ruka (“rick, haystack”). Related also to Old English hrēac (“rick, stack”), from Proto-Germanic *hraukaz (“heap”). Further relations: Dutch rook, Icelandic hraukur, Irish cruach. Doublet of croagh.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).