Definition: pickle

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Source: WordNet (r) 1.7 

pickle
     n 1: vegetables (especially cucumbers) preserved in brine or
          vinegar
     2: informal terms for a difficult situation; "he got into a
        terrible fix"; "he made a muddle of his marriage" [syn: fix,
         hole, jam, mess, muddle, kettle of fish]
     v : preserve  in a pickling liquid; as of vegetables

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) 

Pickle \Pic"kle\, n. [Obs.]
   See Picle.
Pickle \Pic"kle\, n. [Cf. D. pekel. Probably a dim. fr. Pick,
   v. t., alluding to the cleaning of the fish.]
   1.
      (a) A solution of salt and water, in which fish, meat,
          etc., may be preserved or corned; brine.
      (b) Vinegar, plain or spiced, used for preserving
          vegetables, fish, eggs, oysters, etc.

   2. Any article of food which has been preserved in brine or
      in vinegar.
Picke \Pi"cke\, n. [Prob. fr. pightel or pingle.]
   A small piece of land inclosed with a hedge; a close. [Obs.]
   [Written also pickle.]
Pickle \Pic"kle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pickled; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Pickling.]
   1. To preserve or season in pickle; to treat with some kind
      of pickle; as, to pickle herrings or cucumbers.

   2. To give an antique appearance to; -- said of copies or
      imitations of paintings by the old masters.