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pike 1 (pīk)
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n.
A long spear formerly used by infantry.
tr.v. piked, pik·ing, pikes
To attack or pierce with a pike.

[French pique, from Old French, from piquer, to prick; see PIQUE.]

piked adj.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
pike 2 (pīk)
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n. pl. pike or pikes
1. A freshwater game and food fish (Esox lucius) of the Northern Hemisphere that has a long snout and attains a length of over 1.2 meters (4 feet). Also called northern pike.
2. Any of various fishes closely related to this fish, such as the muskellunge or the pickerels.
3. Any of various fishes that resemble this fish.

[Middle English, perhaps from Old English pīc, sharp point (from its shape).]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
pike 3 (pīk)
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n.
1. A turnpike.
2. Archaic
a. A tollgate on a turnpike.
b. A toll paid.
intr.v. piked, pik·ing, pikes
To move quickly.
Idiom:
come down the pike Slang
To come into prominence: "a policy ... allowing for little flexibility if an important new singer comes down the pike" (Christian Science Monitor).

[Short for TURNPIKE.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
pike 4 (pīk)
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n.
Chiefly British
A hill with a pointed summit.

[Middle English, possibly of Scandinavian origin.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
pike 5 (pīk)
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n.
A spike or sharp point, as on the tip of a spear.

[Middle English, from Old English pīc.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
pike  6 (pīk)
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n.
A mid-air position in sports such as diving and gymnastics in which the athlete bends to touch the feet or grab the calves or back of the thighs while keeping the legs together and straight.

[Probably from PIKE2 (from the resemblance of the position to the fish's head ).]
(click for a larger image)
pike6
Tania Cagnotto of Italy
at the 2009 FINA World
Swimming Championships
Rome, Italy

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Pike (pīk), Zebulon Montgomery 1779-1813.
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American army officer and explorer noted for his expedition up the Arkansas River to the Rocky Mountains (1806-1807). Pikes Peak is named for him.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.