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Meaning & use

pike

noun·Academic

Last updated

UK/paɪk/
US/paɪk/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable or uncountable

    A long, narrow freshwater fish with a pointed snout and many sharp teeth that hunts other fish.

    Grammar: The plural is usually pike: he caught three pike; as food it is uncountable.

    Patterns

    • fish for pike

    He landed a huge pike from the lake last weekend.

    Pike lurk among the reeds waiting for smaller fish.

    We had baked pike with lemon for dinner.

  2. nouncountablespecialist

    A long wooden pole with a sharp metal tip, used as a weapon by foot soldiers in past centuries.

    Grammar: Historical term; plural pikes.

    Patterns

    • armed with a pike

    The museum displays a pike once carried by a Scottish soldier.

    Lines of soldiers with pikes held back the cavalry.

  3. nouncountablesport

    A body position in diving or gymnastics where the legs are straight and the body is bent forward at the hips.

    Grammar: Often used with in: a dive in pike position.

    Patterns

    • in a pike position

    She entered the water from a perfect pike.

    The gymnast held a tight pike before landing.

  4. nouncountableAmericanold-fashioned

    A toll road, or the toll gate across it, mainly in American use.

    Grammar: Usually appears in names, like the Mass Pike.

    We took the pike to reach Boston faster.

    The old pike once charged travelers a small fee.

Word forms

pluralpike

Common combinations

northern pike
The northern pike is common in cold, clear lakes.
catch a pike
He tried for hours to catch a pike.
pike position
Divers perform the dive in a pike position.
pike and musket
The reenactors carried pike and musket.
come down the pike
New technology will soon come down the pike.

Synonyms and how they differ

spear
Spear is a general word for a pointed weapon, while a pike is a very long one for infantry.
lance
Lance was used on horseback, unlike the pike, which foot soldiers used.
pickerel
Pickerel is a smaller relative of the fish, so it is not a full synonym.

Word family

pikeman noun
a soldier armed with a pike
turnpike noun
a road where tolls are charged
piker noun
American slang for someone who bets or gives only a small amount

Commonly confused: pike or pique?

pike vs pique

Pique sounds the same but means a feeling of annoyed hurt pride, or to stir interest.

Practice

In which sentence does pike mean a fish?

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