pickle
gb/pˈɪkəl/ us/pˈɪkəl/
A2
English
savanyú uborka, savanyúság, savanyít, pácban van, slamasztika, savanyítólé, páclé, savanyúság leve
NOUN
A2
1
savanyúság
B1
Usage pattern:
a pickle; pickles
He ordered a sandwich with a pickle on the side.
Rendelt egy szendvicset, mellé pedig egy savanyú uborkát.
I like dill pickles, but my sister prefers sweet pickles.
Szeretem a kapros savanyú uborkát, de a nővérem inkább az édesebb csemegeuborkát kedveli.
She opened a jar of pickles and added a few slices to the salad.
Learner examples
I eat pickles with my lunch.
Ebédhez savanyú uborkát eszem.
This pickle is very sour.
Ez a savanyú uborka nagyon savanyú.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use pickle to mean a fresh cucumber; a pickle is preserved and usually sour or salty.
Meaning
pickled cucumber or vegetable
Collocations
dill pickle
|sweet pickle
|pickle slices
|pickle spear
|jar of pickles
|pickle juice
|pickles on a burger
|homemade pickles
|crunchy pickles
|bread-and-butter pickles
Synonyms
gherkin (Common in British English for a small pickled cucumber.)
Antonyms
fresh cucumber (Not preserved in vinegar or brine.)
Themes
food_and_drink
|cooking
|daily_life
Definition
A cucumber (or other vegetable) kept in vinegar or salt water.
A vegetable, especially a small cucumber, that has been preserved in vinegar or salty water and eaten as a sour or salty food.
VERB
B1
2
savanyít
B2
Usage pattern:
pickle [something] (in [vinegar/brine])
We pickle the cucumbers in brine with garlic and dill.
Az uborkát fokhagymás, kapros sós lében savanyítjuk.
She pickled red onions to put on tacos.
Lilahagymát savanyított, hogy a tacókra tegye.
If you pickle the vegetables, they’ll keep for weeks in the fridge.
Learner examples
My dad pickles onions.
Apám hagymát savanyít.
We pickle cucumbers in vinegar.
Az uborkát ecetben savanyítjuk.
Common mistake:
Pickle is a verb meaning preserve in vinegar/brine; pick is a different verb.
Meaning
preserve food in vinegar
Collocations
pickle cucumbers
|pickle onions
|pickle vegetables
|quick-pickle
|pickle in vinegar
|pickle in brine
|home-pickled
|pickled with spices
|pickle a batch
|pickle for winter
Synonyms
preserve (More general; pickle is a specific method using vinegar or brine.)
Antonyms
spoil (To go bad instead of being preserved.)
Themes
food_and_drink
|cooking
Definition
To keep food in vinegar or salt water so it lasts longer.
To preserve (vegetables or other food) by soaking them in vinegar or salty water, often with spices.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
3
pácban van
B2
slamasztika
C1
Usage pattern:
in a pickle; get into a pickle; be in a pickle
Missing the last train left us in a pickle.
Az utolsó vonat lekésése miatt nagy pácba kerültünk.
I’m in a pickle because I promised to be at two places at once.
Pácban vagyok, mert megígértem, hogy egyszerre két helyen leszek.
The team was in quite a pickle after the data was deleted.
Learner examples
We are in a pickle.
Pácban vagyunk.
He got into a pickle at work.
A munkahelyén pácba került.
Common mistake:
Often used with in (in a pickle); using it without the article (in pickle) is usually wrong.
Meaning
difficult or awkward situation
Collocations
in a pickle
|in a real pickle
|get into a pickle
|land in a pickle
|leave someone in a pickle
|a bit of a pickle
|a fine pickle
|a nasty pickle
Synonyms
mess (More general and often stronger; pickle can sound lighter or humorous.)
|
bind (Emphasizes being trapped by circumstances.)
Antonyms
solution (A way out of a difficult situation.)
|
comfort (A state of ease rather than trouble.)
Themes
daily_life
|problems
|emotions
Definition
A bad situation that is hard to solve.
A difficult, awkward, or troublesome situation, especially one that is hard to get out of.
NOUN
B2
4
Usage pattern:
in pickle; a pickle of [vinegar/spices]
Save some of the pickle brine for the next batch.
Tegyél félre egy kevés savanyítólevet a következő adaghoz.
The vegetables sat in the pickle overnight to absorb the flavor.
A zöldségek egész éjjel a savanyítólében álltak, hogy magukba szívják az ízeket.
He splashed a little pickle juice into the dressing.
Learner examples
The onions sit in pickle juice.
A hagyma a savanyúság levében áll.
We used the brine from the pickles.
A savanyú uborka levét használtuk fel.
Common mistake:
In everyday English, people more often say pickle brine or pickle juice than pickle for the liquid alone.
Meaning
vinegar or brine for pickling
Collocations
pickle brine
|pickle juice
|spiced pickle
|soak in pickle
|pickling liquid
|reuse the pickle brine
|strong pickle
|vinegar pickle
Synonyms
brine (Often saltwater; pickle may include vinegar and spices.)
Antonyms
fresh water (Not a preserving liquid.)
Themes
food_and_drink
|cooking
Definition
The liquid (vinegar or salty water) used for making pickles.
The vinegar or salty liquid, often with spices, used to preserve food by pickling.
Grammar
Dictionary form
pickle
IPA
GB/pˈɪkəl/
US/pˈɪkəl/
Syllables & stress
pickle (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (pickle)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: pickle
- Plural: pickle, pickles
Verb
- Base: pickle
- 3rd Person Singular: pickles
- Present Participle: pickling
- Past: pickled
Word family
Forms
pickles
noun
pickling
verb
pickled
verb
Expressions
in a pickle
1/ˈɪn ə pˈɪkəl/
idiom
informal
in a difficult situation
In a bad situation and not sure what to do.
Examples
- I’m in a pickle—I lost my wallet the day before the trip.
- They’ll be in a pickle if the delivery doesn’t arrive by noon.
- She got in a pickle after she emailed the wrong file to the client.
Learner examples
- I am in a pickle.
- We are in a pickle today.