pica

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpaɪkə/[1]

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• (General American) enPR: pīkə, IPA^(key): /ˈpaɪkə/[1]

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪkə

Borrowed from Latin pīca (“jay; magpie”). Doublet of pie (“magpie”).

• (pathology): From the idea that magpies will eat almost anything.

pica (countable and uncountable, plural picas)

1. (pathology, usually uncountable) A disorder characterized by appetite and craving for non-edible substances, such as chalk, clay, dirt, ice, or sand.

   Synonyms: allotriophagy, chthonophagia, cittosis, geophagy, (obsolete, rare) pique

   • 1986, George S Baroff, Mental retardation: nature, cause, and management:

     The three most common nonfood picas were eating of strings and rags; feces, vomit, and urine; and paper, cigarettes, and soil.

2. (countable) A magpie.

• pica (disorder) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

From Medieval Latin pica (“pica: a service book”), possibly from Latin pīca (“magpie”) after the piebald appearance of the typeset page (cf. pie (“disordered type”)). The relation to the printer's measure is unclear, as no edition of the text in pica type is known. The French pica derives from English rather than vice versa.[1]

pica (countable and uncountable, plural picas)

1. (typography, printing, uncountable) A size of type between small pica and English, now standardized as 12-point.
   • 1790, James Boswell, edited by Danziger & Brady, Boswell: The Great Biographer, Yale, published 1989, page 30:

     I had been at Baldwin's before dinner in consequence of a letter from him which showed me that, by using a pica instead of an English letter in printing my book, I might comprise it within such a number of sheets as a guinea-volume should contain […] .

2. (typography, uncountable, usually with qualifier) A font of this size.
3. (typography, countable) A unit of length equivalent to 12 points, officially ³⁵⁄₈₃ cm (0.166 in) after 1886 but now (computing) ¹⁄₆ in.

   Coordinate terms: cicero, em, en, point

4. (uncommon, ecclesiastical) A pie or directory: the book directing Roman Catholic observance of saints' days and other feasts under various calendars.

• pica (typography) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

pica (plural picas)

1. Archaic form of pika (“small lagomorph”).
   • 1895, Richard Lydekker, The Royal Natural History, volume 3, page 190:

     Most travellers in the Himalaya are familiar with the pretty little Rodents, known as picas, tailless hares, or mouse-hares, which may be seen in the higher regions […]

• ACPI, APIC, apic, capi, paci

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [ˈpi.kə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencian) [ˈpi.ka]

From Latin pīla (“mortar”), with an unexplained change from /l/ to /k/. Compare Spanish pila (“sink, font”).

pica f (plural piques)

1. bowl

   pica beneitera ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

2. sink

   Synonym: lavabo

   de mica en mica s'omple la pica (proverb) ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 2006, Sergi Pàmies, “Com dues gotes d'aigua”, in Si menges una llimona sense fer ganyotes:

     Quan neix, la gota encara no sap que d'aquí a dos segons s'escalfarà contra la pica de la cuina.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Borrowed from Spanish pica (“pike”).

pica f (plural piques)

1. (weaponry) pike
2. (card games) spade

Borrowed from Latin pīca (“magpie”).

pica f (uncountable)

1. (pathology) pica (disorder characterized by craving and appetite for non-edible substances)

Deverbal from picar.

pica f (plural piques)

1. peak, summit

   Synonyms: pic, cim, cima

Borrowed from French pika, from an Evenki word.

pica f (plural piques)

1. pika (small, furry mammal)

pica

1. inflection of picar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

• “pica” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “pica” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

pica m (plural picas)

1. pipit
2. (card games) spade (a playing card of the suit spades, picas)

pica

1. inflection of picar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

• IPA^(key): /ˈpi.ka/
• Rhymes: -ika
• Hyphenation: pì‧ca

pica f (plural piche)

1. picacismo
2. magpie

• capi, capì, paci

From Proto-Italic *peikā, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peyk- (“woodpecker; magpie”), whence also Latin pīcus (“woodpecker”).

Romance forms in -e- might reflect a different etymon, such as the Umbrian peico (acc.sg.), where the product of /ei/'s monophthongisation coincided with the latin /ē/. Cognate to Sanskrit पिक (piká, “cuckoo”), German Specht (“woodpecker”), Swedish spett (“crowbar, skewer; kind of woodpecker”).

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈpiː.ka/, [ˈpiːkä]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈpi.ka/, [ˈpiːkä]

pīca f (genitive pīcae); first declension

1. magpie

First-declension noun.

• pīcus

• Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “pīca”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volumes 8: Patavia–Pix, page 420

• “pica”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “pica”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• pica in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)

From Italian pizza.

pica f (4th declension)

1. pizza

• IPA^(key): (10^th–15^th CE) /pit͡sa/
• IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /pit͡sa/

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *piťa.

pica f

1. fodder, forage

   Synonym: obrok

• Polish: pica (obsolete)

• B. Sieradzka-Baziur, editor (2011–2015), “pica”, in Słownik pojęciowy języka staropolskiego [Conceptual Dictionary of Old Polish] (in Polish), Kraków: IJP PAN, →ISBN

Inherited from Proto-Slavic.

pica f

1. vulva

• Polish: pica

• B. Sieradzka-Baziur, editor (2011–2015), “pica”, in Słownik pojęciowy języka staropolskiego [Conceptual Dictionary of Old Polish] (in Polish), Kraków: IJP PAN, →ISBN

• IPA^(key): /ˈpi.t͡sa/
• Rhymes: -it͡sa
• Syllabification: pi‧ca

Inherited from Old Polish pica (“fodder, food, forage”), from Proto-Slavic *piťa.

pica f

1. (obsolete) fodder, forage

   Synonyms: furaż, pasza

Inherited from Old Polish pica (“vulva”), from Proto-Slavic.

pica f (diminutive piczka)

1. (vulgar) cunt, pussy (female genitalia)

   Synonyms: cipa, pizda, psiocha

• pica in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• M. Arcta Słownik Staropolski/Pica on the Polish Wikisource.Wikisource ^pl

• Rhymes: -ikɐ
• Hyphenation: pi‧ca

Deverbal from picar.

pica f (plural picas)

1. (Portugal) act of mincing
2. (historical, rare) pike (long spear)

   Synonym: pique

3. (Brazil, colloquial, vulgar) dick; prick; penis

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:pénis

4. (Portugal, childish) jab (medical injection)

   Synonym: injeção

5. (Portugal, colloquial) energy; power

   Já estou com a pica toda. ― I'm full of energy.

6. (Portugal, colloquial) enthusiasm, will

   Falta-me pica para continuar o projeto ― I'm lacking enthusiasm to continue with the project.

7. (Portugal, slang) joint (marijuana cigarette)

• picão

pica m (plural picas)

1. (Portugal, informal) ticket inspector

   Synonym: revisor

pica m or f (plural picas)

1. (Southeast Brazil, vulgar) awesome; amazing; cool

• ser pica

Learned borrowing from Latin pīca

pica f (plural picas)

1. (pathology) pica

Borrowed from English pica, ultimately from Latin pīca.

pica f (plural picas)

1. (typography, printing, rare) pica

   Synonym: paica

From pico (“tip”).

pica f (plural picas)

1. (Portugal) dace; chub (fish of the genus Leuciscus)

   Synonyms: escalo, robalinho

2. (Portugal) atherine (fish of the genus Atherina)

   Synonym: peixe-rei

Borrowed from French pika.

pica f (plural picas)

1. pika (mammal of the family Ochotonidae)

Borrowed from English pic.

pica f (plural picas)

1. (Brazil, Internet slang, 4chan, humorous) pic (short for picture, meaning image)

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

pica

1. inflection of picar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

• “pica” in iDicionário Aulete.
• “pica” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913
• “pica” in Dicionário Online de Português.
• “pica” in Dicionário inFormal.
• “pica” in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa. Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2024.
• “pica” in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa.
• “pica” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

From pic, as a word originally in reference to drops of liquid. Compare also Aromanian chicu.

• IPA^(key): /piˈka/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -a
• Hyphenation: pi‧ca

a pica (third-person singular present pică, past participle picat) 1st conj.

1. (intransitive) to fall

   Synonym: cădea

2. (intransitive, of systems or connections) to fail, have downtime, be interrupted
3. (transitive, archaic) to have drops of liquid fall on something or someone
4. (transitive, obsolete) to drip a liquid
5. (transitive or reflexive, obsolete or regional) to stain something, respectively oneself
6. (transitive, regional, uncommon) to hit (in aggression, with a blunt object)
7. (transitive) to fail an exam

   Antonyms: promova, (informal) lua

8. (transitive, informal) to fail a student
9. (intransitive, informal, of examination topics) to be arbitrarily assigned

   În fiecare an, liceenii se întreabă ce le va pica la bacalaureatul de română. Toți speră că va pica un subiect ușor, cum ar fi basmul sau nuvela.

   Each year, high schoolers wonder what they’ll get for the Romanian language baccalaureate. They all hope to get an easy subject, such as the folk tale or the short story.

10. (intransitive, mildly informal) to fall on a date

    Synonym: cădea

11. (intransitive, informal, now uncommon, of people) to come by, appear

    Synonyms: apărea, își face apariția, se ivi

12. (intransitive, informal, of things) to fall into one’s hands, fall into one’s lap [+dative]

In the primary meaning of “fall”, pica differs from cădea in formality (pica is slightly more informal) and in being less likely to be used figuratively with the meaning of “collapse”.

• frumos de pică
• pica bine
• pica prost
• pica rău
• pică pară mălăiață în gura lui nătăfleață
• picătură
• nici să-l pici cu ceară

Borrowed from French piquer.

a pica (third-person singular present pichează, past participle picat) 1st conj.

1. (intransitive, of aircraft) to dive

Borrowed from Latin pīca.

• IPA^(key): /ˈpi.ka/
• Rhymes: -ika
• Hyphenation: pi‧ca

pica f (uncountable)

1. pica

pica

1. definite nominative/accusative singular of pică

• pica in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)

Hypocoristic form derived from pízda (“cunt”).

• IPA^(key): /pǐːtsa/
• Hyphenation: pi‧ca
• Rhymes: -it͡sa

píca f (Cyrillic spelling пи́ца)

1. (vulgar, hypocoristic) cunt, pussy

From Italian pizza.

• IPA^(key): /pîtsa/
• Hyphenation: pi‧ca
• Rhymes: -it͡sa

pȉca f (Cyrillic spelling пи̏ца)

1. pizza

Borrowed from Italian pizza.

• IPA^(key): /pìːt͡sa/, /píːt͡sa/

pīca f

1. pizza

• “pica”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU, portal Fran

• IPA^(key): /ˈpika/ [ˈpi.ka]
• Rhymes: -ika
• Syllabification: pi‧ca

Deverbal from picar.

pica f (plural picas)

1. pike, lance
2. pick (digging tool)
3. (card games) spade (a playing card of the suit spades, picas)

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

pica f (countable and uncountable, plural picas)

1. (pathology, usually uncountable) pica (a disorder characterized by appetite and craving for non-edible substances)

pica

1. inflection of picar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

• “pica”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014