pickerel

  • 1Pickerel — Pick er*el, n. [Dim. of {Pike}.] [Written also {pickerell}.] 1. A young or small pike. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Bet [better] is, quoth he, a pike than a pickerel. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] 2. (Zo[ o]l.) (a) Any one of several species of freshwater… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2pickerel — [pik′ər əl] n. pl. pickerel or pickerels [ME < pik,PIKE3 + rel, dim. suffix] 1. any of various small, North American pike fishes (genus Esox) 2. WALLEYE (sense 5b) 3. Brit. a young pike …

    English World dictionary

  • 3pickerel — (n.) late 14c., dim. of pike fish (see PIKE (Cf. pike) (3)), with pejorative suffix REL (Cf. rel) …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 4pickerel — /pik euhr euhl, pik reuhl/, n., pl. (esp. collectively) pickerel, (esp. referring to two or more kinds or species) pickerels. 1. any of several small species of pike, as Esox niger (chain pickerel) and E. americanus americanus (redfin pickerel),… …

    Universalium

  • 5pickerel — /ˈpɪkərəl/ (say pikuhruhl) noun (plural pickerels, pickerel) any of various species of pike, especially one of the smaller species, as the chain pickerel, Esox niger, and the mud pickerel, Esox vermiculatus. {Middle English pykerel, from pike1 +… …

  • 6pickerel — Sauger Sau ger, n. (Zo[ o]l.) An American fresh water food fish ({Stizostedion Canadense}); called also {gray pike}, {blue pike}, {hornfish}, {land pike}, {sand pike}, {pickering}, and {pickerel}. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 7pickerel — Pike Pike, n. [F. pique; perhaps of Celtic origin; cf. W. pig a prick, a point, beak, Arm. pik pick. But cf. also L. picus woodpecker (see {Pie} magpie), and E. spike. Cf. {Pick}, n. & v., {Peak}, {Pique}.] 1. (Mil.) A foot soldier s weapon,… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 8pickerel — noun (plural el or els) Etymology: Middle English pikerel, diminutive of pike Date: 13th century 1. a. dialect chiefly British a young or small pike b. either of two fishes resembling but smaller than the related northern pike: (1) chain pickerel …

    New Collegiate Dictionary

  • 9pickerel — a common name used by anglers for walleye (Sander vitreus, Percidae) but strictly speaking the name for the smaller species of the pike family, Esocidae Pickerel is the Middle English for a small pike …

    Dictionary of ichthyology

  • 10pickerel — pick•er•el [[t]ˈpɪk ər əl, ˈpɪk rəl[/t]] n. pl. (esp. collectively) el, (esp. for kinds or species) els. 1) ich any of several small pikes of the genus Esox[/ex] 2) ich the walleye, blue pike, or pikeperch 3) ich Brit. a young pike • Etymology:… …

    From formal English to slang