pickthank

[ pik-thangk ]
/ ˈpɪkˌθæŋk /

noun Archaic.

a person who seeks favor by flattery or gossip; sycophant.

Origin of pickthank

First recorded in 1490–1500; noun use of verb phrase pick a thank, pick thanks

Words nearby pickthank

pickled, pickleworm, picklock, pickpocket, pickproof, pickthank, pickup, pickup arm, pickup camper, pickup tube, pickwick

Example sentences from the Web for pickthank

  • Three witnesses were then called: Envy, Superstition, and Pickthank.

    Bunyan |James Anthony Froude

  • It is at best but a pettifogging, pickthank business to decompose actions into little personal motives, and explain heroism away.

    The Pocket R.L.S. |Robert Louis Stevenson

  • So there came in three witnesses; to wit, Envy, Superstition, and Pickthank.

    The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan |John Bunyan

  • Le Mercier was a pickthank, angling after the favor of La Pompadour,—a pretentious knave, as hollow as one of his own mortars.

    The Golden Dog |William Kirby