Generally speaking, a pickle is a food preserved in a brine, at minimum water and salt, but often also vinegar and other flavorings. Vegetables are most commonly pickled, but some proteins can also be pickled. In American English, the generic term "pickle" usually refers to a small cucumber (most typically a Kirby) which has been preserved in a vinegar-based brine. If they are soaked briefly, they are "half-sours;" a longer soak creates "sour pickles." Kosher pickles have garlic added to the brine, and dill pickles have fresh dill. Bread-and-butter pickles are cured in a sweeter brine with both vinegar and sugar. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of other variations.

It is used to mean "a dilemma" such as "I'm in a pickle because the babysitter didn't show up"