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pizzicare

to pinch, to itch

verb peet-tsee-KAH-reh Rare
Body & Health Senses

Origin: From 'pizzico' (pinch), of expressive origin.

Also means

to pluck (a string)

Usage Note

Pizzicare takes avere and covers several senses: to pinch someone's skin, to itch (mi pizzica la schiena — 'my back itches'), to pluck a guitar or violin string, and colloquially to catch someone in the act (la polizia lo ha pizzicato). The spelling change pizzico → pizzichi keeps the hard 'k' sound in the present tense.

Examples

"Il bambino ha pizzicato il fratellino sul braccio."

Natural Translation

The child pinched his little brother on the arm.

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