A small hole or puncture made by something sharp; also an offensive slang term for a contemptible person.
From Old English 'prica,' meaning a small mark or puncture. The word is imitative in origin and has been used since medieval times with both meanings.
The word 'prick' is one of those words that was originally neutral (just meaning a small hole) but became an insult—probably because it was easy to use as a jab at someone. This shows how insults often come from innocent descriptive words.
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