1
: a solution or bath for preserving or cleaning: such as
a
: a brine or vinegar solution in which foods are preserved
b
: any of various baths used in industrial cleaning or processing
2
: a difficult situation : plight
could see no way out of the pickle I was in—
R. L. Stevenson
R. L. Stevenson3
: an article of food that has been preserved in brine or in vinegar
specifically
: a cucumber that has been so preserved
pickled; pickling
ˈpi-k(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to treat, preserve, or clean in or with a pickle
2
: to give a light finish to (something, such as furniture) by bleaching or painting and wiping
Examples of pickle in a Sentence
Noun (1)
well, this is a bit of a pickle we've gotten ourselves into
Recent Examples on the Web
Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 19 July 2025
Sweet pickles: Varieties like bread-and-butter pickles have sugar and vinegar in the brine, which help to preserve them.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 18 July 2025
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 21 July 2025
Wild mushroom tacos were smartly pickled, again with a hit of habanero ash and the addition of Oaxaca cheese.
—John Mariani, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pickle
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Noun
Boca Raton resident Pam Duhamel, who is originally from London, purchases a can of Heinz baked beans, marmite (a yeast extract used as a flavoring), a bottle of Branston squeezable pickle, and a container of Coleman’s mustard.
—Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 19 July 2025
Sweet pickles: Varieties like bread-and-butter pickles have sugar and vinegar in the brine, which help to preserve them.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 18 July 2025
Verb
Napa cabbage is commonly pickled into kimchi, a staple local dish, and the government has utilized national stocks to bolster supplies.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 21 July 2025
Wild mushroom tacos were smartly pickled, again with a hit of habanero ash and the addition of Oaxaca cheese.
—John Mariani, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pickle
Cite this Entry
“Pickle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pickle. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pickle
2 of 2 verb
pickled; pickling
ˈpik-(ə-)liŋ
: to treat, preserve, or clean in or with a pickle
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