pightle n |ˈpaɪtḷ, ˈpaɪkḷ| Also pichtel, pightel, pikle, pitle, pykle, pytel [OED3 pightle (also pitle, pytle, pikle, pykle, etc) c1200→; chiefly eEngl (and earlier nEngl) dialect (cf EDD pightle, 1974 Orton–Wright Word Geog. England Map 63). ] chiefly eLong Island NY
A small fenced area near or enclosing a house or barn.
1686 in 1899 Documents Colonial & Post-Revol. Hist. NJ [Abstract:] Jeffery Jones and wife Sussanah of Elizabethtown to Jonas Wood of the same place, weaver, for a houselot and pitle of 5 acres. 1693 in 1877 Southampton NY Records 2.321, [Abstract:] Obadiah Sale sells to Samuel Whitehead, his home lot or pitle with dwelling house ½ acre. 1740 in 1878 Southampton NY Records 3.25, From thence we went to Nathan Halseys pitle. 1783 in 1898 Smithtown NY Records 54, I leave to my two grand sons . . , a tract of land . . , bounded as follows, Beginning at a bunch of chesnut saplings by the Cow yard, then running west across the pitle [etc]. 1852 NY Daily Times (NY) 25 Sept 1/3, The old gentleman sees how late it is, and calls to Milton to turn the horses into the “pi’kle.” 1860 N&Q 2d ser 9.443 NY, The words balk and pightel are occasionally to be found in use in the older parts of the State of New York. . . Pightel, or pikle, is a word very nearly obsolete. . . Pightel signifies an enclosure surrounding a dwellinghouse, and is sometimes synonymous with lawn. 1878 Long Is. Traveler (Cutchoque NY) 19 Dec [2]/2, Bridgehampton. . . Whenever there are heavy rains and melted snows, the pikle and grounds about Jetur Bishop’s residence have always been flooded. 1889 AN&Q 3.256, In parts of Long Island the bit of sward in front of the house and barn is invariably called the pightel or pightle. 1895 DN 1.392 Long Is. NY, Pykle: small enclosed field or yard. Patchogue, L.I. 1939 LANE Map 113 (Barnyard) 1 inf, Southold NY, [pɐ˅ᵻʔkɫ], fenced in, for cows; 1 inf, Easthampton NY, [pɐ˃˅ᵻt̬ɫ], a small enclosed piece of wild land near the barn, for cows; 1 inf, Southampton NY, [pɐ˅ᵻtɫ], an enclosure for cows adjoining the barnyard, surrounded by a post-and-rail fence; 1 inf, Easthampton NY, [pɑ˄ᵻtl], an open space around the barn. 1953 East Hampton Star (NY) 5 Feb 2/3, Any attentive listener to the local idiom will have noticed many old-time expressions, such as . . “pightle” for back yard. 1973 DARE File seNY (as of c1900), Pightle. . . The second word referred to his grandparents pitle . . or pytel . . and meant barnyard. . . c1900, by native of eastern Long Island; never heard otherwise. 1981 East Hampton Star (NY) 17 Sept 18/3, [Advt:] Attention to detail Exquisitely enhances this replica of an early Connecticut hipped roof home. Three bedrooms, two large baths, . . picket fenced pightle with pitched roof garden house. 1991 DARE File seNY, Pichtel = pightle. Pronounced pike’l. The area enclosed by house, barns and other outbuildings to form a sort of courtyard. The center of farm life and activity. I loved this word. Still in use among a few.