Pike Definition

pīk
piked, pikes, piking
noun
pikes
A weapon, formerly used by foot soldiers, consisting of a metal spearhead on a long wooden shaft.
Webster's New World
Any of a family (Esocidae, order Salmoniformes) of slender, voracious, freshwater bony fishes with a narrow, pointed head and conspicuous, sharp teeth; esp., a species (Esox lucius) of the northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
Webster's New World
Any of various fishes closely related to this fish, such as the muskellunge or the pickerels.
American Heritage
A highway.
Webster's New World
Any of various fishes resembling the true pikes, as the walleye.
Webster's New World
verb
piked, pikes, piking
To move quickly.
American Heritage
To pierce or kill with or as with a pike.
Webster's New World
(Australia, New Zealand, slang, often with "on" or "out") To quit or back out of a promise.
Don't pike on me like you did last time!
Wiktionary
pronoun

A surname of multiple origins, including Middle English pike.

Wiktionary
idiom
come down the pike
  • To come into prominence:
American Heritage

Other Word Forms of Pike

Noun

Singular:
pike
Plural:
pikes

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Pike

Origin of Pike

  • Middle French pique (“long thrusting weapon"), from Old French pic (“sharp point"), and from Old English pÄ«c (“pointed object, pick axe"), ultimately a variant form of pick, with meaning narrowed.

    From Wiktionary

  • Perhaps a special use of Etymology 1, above; or from an early Scandinavian language, compare Norwegian pik (“summit").

    From Wiktionary

  • Cognate with Dutch piek, dialectal German Peik, Norwegian pik. Etymological twin to pique.

    From Wiktionary

  • French pique from Old French from piquer to prick pique

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English perhaps from Old English pīc sharp point (from its shape)

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Probably from pike (from the resemblance of the position to the fish's head)

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English possibly of Scandinavian origin

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English from Old English pīc

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Short for turnpike

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

Find Similar Words

Find similar words to pike using the buttons below.

Words Starting With

Words Ending With

Unscrambles

pike