Pike \Pike\, n. [F. pique; perhaps of Celtic origin; cf. W. pig
a prick, a point, beak, Arm. pik pick. But cf. also L. picus
woodpecker (see Pie magpie), and E. spike. Cf. Pick, n. &
v., Peak, Pique.]
1. (Mil.) A foot soldier's weapon, consisting of a long
wooden shaft or staff, with a pointed steel head. It is
now superseded by the bayonet.
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2. A pointed head or spike; esp., one in the center of a
shield or target. --Beau. & Fl.
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3. A hayfork. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
--Tusser.
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4. A pick. [Prov. Eng.]
--Wright. Raymond.
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5. A pointed or peaked hill. [R.]
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6. A large haycock. [Prov. Eng.]
--Halliwell.
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7. A turnpike; a toll bar. --Dickens.
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8. (Zool.) sing. & pl. A large fresh-water fish (Esox
lucius), found in Europe and America, highly valued as a
food fish; -- called also pickerel, gedd, luce, and
jack.
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Note: Blue pike, grass pike, green pike, wall-eyed pike, and
yellow pike, are names, not of true pike, but of the
wall-eye. See Wall-eye.
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Gar pike. See under Gar.
Pike perch (Zool.), any fresh-water fish of the genus
Stizostedion (formerly Lucioperca). See Wall-eye,
and Sauger.
Pike pole, a long pole with a pike in one end, used in
directing floating logs.
Pike whale (Zool.), a finback whale of the North Atlantic
(Bal[ae]noptera rostrata), having an elongated snout; --
called also piked whale.
Sand pike (Zool.), the lizard fish.
Sea pike (Zool.), the garfish
(a) .
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Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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