Part 264

3. To tether to, or as to, a picket; as, to picket a horse.

4. To guard, as a camp or road, by an outlying picket.

5. To torture by compelling to stand with one foot on a pointed stake. [Obs.]

Pick`e*tee" (?), n. (Bot.) See Picotee.

Pick"-fault` (?), n. One who seeks out faults.

Pick"ing, n. 1. The act of digging or breaking up, as with a pick.

2. The act of choosing, plucking, or gathering.

3. That which is, or may be, picked or gleaned.

4. Pilfering; also, that which is pilfered.

5. pl. The pulverized shells of oysters used in making walks. [Eng.] Simmonds.

6. (Mining) Rough sorting of ore.

7. Overburned bricks. Simmonds.

Pick"ing, a. 1. Done or made as with a pointed tool; as, a picking sound.

2. Nice; careful. [Obs.]

was too warm on picking work to dwell.

Dryden.

Picking peg. (Weaving) See Picker, n., 3.

Pic"kle (?), n. [Obs.] See Picle.

Pic"kle, n. [Cf. D. pekel. Probably a dim. fr. Pick, v. t., alluding to the cleaning of the fish.] 1. (a) A solution of salt and water, in which fish, meat, etc., may be preserved or corned; brine. (b) Vinegar, plain or spiced, used for preserving vegetables, fish, eggs, oysters, etc.

2. Any article of food which has been preserved in brine or in vinegar.

3. (Founding) A bath of dilute sulphuric or nitric acid, etc., to remove burnt sand, scale rust, etc., from the surface of castings, or other articles of metal, or to brighten them or improve their color.

4. A troublesome child; as, a little pickle. [Colloq.]

To be in a pickle, to be in disagreeable position; to be in a condition of embarrassment, difficulty, or disorder. "How cam'st thou in this pickle?" Shak. - - To put a rod in pickle, to prepare a particular reproof, punishment, or penalty for future application.

Pic"kle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pickled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Pickling (?).] 1. To preserve or season in pickle; to treat with some kind of pickle; as, to pickle herrings or cucumbers.

2. To give an antique appearance to; -- said of copies or imitations of paintings by the old masters.

Pic"kled (?), a. Preserved in a pickle.

Pic"kle-her"ring (?), n. 1. A herring preserved in brine; a pickled herring. [Obs.] Shak.

2. A merry-andrew; a buffoon. [Obs.] Addison.