What does piked mean?
Piked is principally the past tense and past participle of pike, an old verb with several related meanings. In modern contexts, it usually means that a point or sharp end was made: “She piked the stake and drove it into the soil.” In historical or literary language, it can mean pierced with a pike, furnished with pikes, or moved quickly and lightly. A piked object is therefore pointed, armed, or spear-pierced depending on context, so the surrounding nouns matter. The expression “piked whiting” preserves a descriptive use, referring to a fish with a pike-like appearance. Although “piked” can look like an uncommon adjective, it is normally a verb form rather than a specialized modern word. It is useful as a compact example of how English preserves older senses in ordinary inflected forms, even when the precise meaning is no longer obvious from the word alone.
Made pointed; furnished with a pike; or resembling a pike, as in piked whiting.
"The enclosure was strengthened with piked stakes."
This participial use is relatively uncommon outside fixed expressions and historical contexts.
The past tense and past participle of pike: to make into a point, pierce with a pike, or move swiftly.
"He piked the pole and plunged it into the water."
The meaning “moved swiftly” is archaic or literary.
One small word can mean sharpened, spear-bearing, pierced—or, in older writing, darting away.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does piked come from?
The base verb pike descends from Old English pīc, a word for a pointed implement or spear. Middle English developed the verb meanings “make into a point” and “pierce with a pike,” as well as “move swiftly,” the last now chiefly archaic or literary. Related forms include piker and piking, while Dutch pijk and German Pike are close cognates.
Related word forms
How piked is actually used
Piked is normally an inflected verb form rather than an independent modern word. The adjective and participial uses are relatively uncommon, while the swift-moving sense is chiefly archaic or literary.