pricking
Needle entering skin
Pricking is the sensation of being pierced by something sharp—pins, needles, thorns.
The feeling can be literal or figurative: a pricking sensation in my fingers, the pricking of conscience.
The phrase pricking of my thumbs (from Macbeth) suggests intuitive foreboding.
Pricking also names the act itself: pricking holes in paper, pricking out seedlings.
Bristled plant; to annoy
- beeStinging nectar gatherer
- waspNarrow-bodied stinging insect
- antSmall colonial insect
- mosquitoBlood-feeding flying pest
jellyfish · scorpion · thistle · cactus · sting · burn · itch · venom
Slight stinging sensation
- pins and needlesTingling in extremities
- numbnessLoss of sensation
- paresthesiaAbnormal skin sensation
- twingeBrief, sharp sensation
sting · irritation · discomfort · crawling · goosebumps · static · sharpness · sensitivity
Pointed implement for sewing
- pinPointed metal fastener
- thornPointed plant projection
- lancetSmall surgical knife
- pointExact location or meaning
jab · poke · puncture · pierce · stab · stick · spike · barb
Moral self-reproach
- remorseGuilt for wrongdoing
- uneaseMild persistent worry
- naggingPersistent bothering or complaining
- twingeBrief, sharp sensation
qualm · scruple · regret · shame · disquiet · misgiving · compunction · pangs
Active mental awareness
- attentionFocused mental awareness
- listeningAttending to sound
- awarenessState of perceiving reality
- perkingBecoming more cheerful
response · curiosity · arousal · vigilance · hearing · detection · recognition
Slender pointed instruments
- meridiansPole-to-pole geographic lines
- qiVital life energy
- chiGreek letter or energy
- pressure pointsAnatomical vulnerability sites
holistic · traditional · therapy · wellness · healing · treatment · insertion · stimulation
nettle
Bristled plant; to annoy
mosquito · jellyfish · scorpion · thistle · cactus · sting · burn · itch · venom · welt
tingle
Slight stinging sensation
- pins and needlesTingling in extremities
- numbnessLoss of sensation
- paresthesiaAbnormal skin sensation
twinge · sting · irritation · discomfort · crawling · goosebumps · static · sharpness · sensitivity · neuropathy
needle
Pointed implement for sewing
point · jab · poke · puncture · pierce · stab · stick · spike · barb · skewer
guilt
Moral self-reproach
twinge · qualm · scruple · regret · shame · disquiet · misgiving · compunction · pangs · moral
alertness
Active mental awareness
perking · response · curiosity · arousal · vigilance · hearing · detection · recognition
needles
Slender pointed instruments
pressure points · holistic · traditional · therapy · wellness · healing · treatment · insertion · stimulation · moxibustion
- piercingpierce, piercing, puncture, puncturing, stab
- sharp painsstab, stabbing, stabbing pain, jab, pierce
- balletballet, ballerina, ballet dancer, ballet shoes, tutus
- sausage makingcasing, casings, grinder, grinding, linking
- witch huntswitch trials, witch hunt, witch hunts, Salem witch trials, Salem trials
- scriptoriascriptorium, copyist, scribe, calligrapher, amanuensis
prickingpressing
Requiring immediate attention
smoothing · flattening · spreading · patting · cushioning
- pricking up one's earsBecoming keenly attentive