Etymology

From Middle French picquer, from Old French piquer ‎(“to pierce with the tip of a sword”) (cf. also pikier), from proto-Romance or Vulgar Latin *pīccare ‎(“to sting, strike”) or *pikkāre (compare Occitan, Catalan, Portuguese, and Spanish picar), itself either from an onomatopoetic root *pikk- (cf. also Latin picus, whence French pic), or alternatively, and less likely, from Frankish *pikkōn, from Proto-Germanic *pikōną, *pukaną ‎(“to pick, peck, prick, knock”), from Proto-Indo-European *beu-, *bu- ‎(“to make a dull sound”). Cognate with Old English pȳcan, pician ‎(“to pick, pluck”), Old Norse pikka ‎(“to prick, peck”), Middle Dutch and Middle Low German picken ‎(“to pick, peck, pierce”), Middle High German puchen ‎(“to knock, defy, plunder”). More at pick.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pike/
• Homophones: piquai, piqué, piquée, piquées, piqués, piquez