pick 1
(pĭk)v. picked, pick·ing, picks
v.tr.1. To select from a group: The best swimmer was picked.
2. a. To gather in; harvest: They were picking cotton.
b. To gather the harvest from: picked the field in one day.
3. a. To remove the outer covering of; pluck: pick a chicken clean of feathers.
b. To tear off bit by bit: pick meat from the bones.
4. To remove extraneous matter from (the teeth, for example).
5. To poke and pull at (something) with the fingers.
6. To break up, separate, or detach by means of a sharp pointed instrument.
7. To pierce or make (a hole) with a sharp pointed instrument.
8. To take up (food) with the beak; peck: The parrot picked its seed.
9. To steal the contents of: My pocket was picked.
10. To open (a lock) without the use of a key.
11. To provoke: pick a fight.
12. Music a. To pluck (an instrument's strings).
b. To play (an instrument) by plucking its strings.
c. To play (a tune) in this manner: picked a melody out on the guitar.
v.intr.1. To decide with care or forethought.
2. To work with a pick.
3. To find fault or make petty criticisms; carp: He's always picking about something.
4. To be harvested or gathered: The ripe apples picked easily.
n.1. The act of picking, especially with a sharp pointed instrument.
2. The act of selecting or choosing; choice: got first pick of the desserts.
3. Something selected as the most desirable; the best or choicest part: the pick of the crop.
4. The amount or quantity of a crop that is picked by hand.
5. Sports An interception of a pass.
6. Basketball A screen.
Phrasal Verbs: pick apart To refute or find flaws in by close examination: The lawyer picked the testimony apart.
pick at1. To pluck or pull at, especially with the fingers.
2. To eat sparingly or without appetite: The child just picked at the food.
3. Informal To nag: Don't pick at me.
pick off1. To shoot after singling out: The hunter picked the ducks off one by one.
2. Baseball To put out (a base runner standing off base) by making a quick throw to a fielder. Used especially of a pitcher or catcher.
3. Sports To intercept (a pass), as in football.
pick on To tease or bully.
pick out1. To choose or select: picked out a nice watch.
2. To discern from the surroundings; distinguish: picked out their cousins from the crowd.
pick over To sort out or examine item by item: picked over the grapes before buying them.
pick up1. To take up (something) with a hand or other body part or with an instrument: Could you pick up that book? The dog picked up the bone in its mouth.
2. To collect or gather: picked up some pebbles.
3. To tidy up; clean: picked up the bedroom.
4. To take on (passengers or freight, for example): The bus picks up commuters at five stops.
5. Informal a. To acquire casually or by accident: picked up a new coat on sale.
b. To acquire (knowledge) by learning or experience: picked up French quickly.
c. To claim: picked up her car at the repair shop.
d. To buy: picked up some milk at the store.
e. To accept (a bill or charge) in order to pay it: Let me pick up the tab.
f. To come down with (a disease): picked up a virus at school.
g. To gain: picked up five yards on that play.
6. Informal To take into custody: The agents picked up six smugglers.
7. Slang To make casual acquaintance with, usually in anticipation of sexual relations.
8. a. To come upon and follow: The dog picked up the scent.
b. To come upon and observe: picked up two submarines on sonar.
c. To receive, detect, or register: Did the microphone pick up that sound?
9. To continue after a break: Let's pick up the discussion after lunch.
10. Informal To improve in condition or activity: Sales picked up last fall.
11. Informal a. To prepare a sudden departure: She just picked up and left.
b. In golf, to grab one's ball from the ground while it is in play, indicating that one has given up.
Idioms: pick and choose To select with great care.
pick holes in To seek and discover flaws or a flaw in: picked holes in the argument.
pick nits To find fault in a petty way; nitpick.
pick (one's) way To find passage and make careful progress through it: picked her way down the slope.
pick (someone) to pieces To criticize sharply.
pick up on Informal 1. To take into the mind and understand, typically with speed: is quick to pick up on new computer skills.
2. To notice: picked up on my roommate's bad mood and left him alone.
[Middle English piken, to prick, from Old English *pīcian, to prick, and from Old French piquer, to pierce (from Vulgar Latin *piccāre; see pique).]
pick′er n.
pick 2
(pĭk)n.1. A tool for breaking hard surfaces, consisting of a curved bar sharpened at both ends and fitted to a long handle.
2. a. Something, such as an ice pick, toothpick, or picklock, used for picking.
b. A long-toothed comb, usually designed for use on curly hair.
c. A pointed projection on the front of the blade of a figure skate.
3. Music A plectrum.
[Middle English pik, variant of pike, sharp point; see pike5.]
pick 3
(pĭk)n.1. A weft thread in weaving.
2. A passage or throw of the shuttle in a loom.
tr.v. picked,
pick·ing,
picks To throw (a shuttle) across a loom.
[Dialectal, from
pick,
to pitch, thrust, variant of
pitch.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
pick
(pɪk) vb1. to choose (something) deliberately or carefully, from or as if from a group or number; select
2. to pluck or gather (fruit, berries, or crops) from (a tree, bush, field, etc): to pick hops; to pick a whole bush.
3. (Cookery) (tr) to clean or prepare (fruit, poultry, etc) by removing the indigestible parts
4. (tr) to remove loose particles from (the teeth, the nose, etc)
5. (esp of birds) to nibble or gather (corn, etc)
6. (when: intr, foll by at) to nibble (at) fussily or without appetite
7. (Crafts) to separate (strands, fibres, etc), as in weaving
8. (tr) to provoke (an argument, fight, etc) deliberately
9. (tr) to steal (money or valuables) from (a person's pocket)
10. (tr) to open (a lock) with an instrument other than a key
11. (Music, other) to pluck the strings of (a guitar, banjo, etc)
12. (tr) to make (one's way) carefully on foot: they picked their way through the rubble.
13. pick and choose to select fastidiously, fussily, etc
14. pick someone's brains to obtain information or ideas from someone
n15. freedom or right of selection (esp in the phrase take one's pick)
16. a person, thing, etc, that is chosen first or preferred: the pick of the bunch.
17. the act of picking
18. (Agriculture) the amount of a crop picked at one period or from one area
19. (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) printing a speck of dirt or paper fibre or a blob of ink on the surface of set type or a printing plate
[C15: from earlier piken to pick, influenced by French piquer to pierce; compare Middle Low German picken, Dutch pikken]
ˈpickable adj
pick
(pɪk) n1. (Tools) a tool with a handle carrying a long steel head curved and tapering to a point at one or both ends, used for loosening soil, breaking rocks, etc
2. (Tools) any of various tools used for picking, such as an ice pick or toothpick
3. (Music, other) a plectrum
vb4. (tr) to pierce, dig, or break up (a hard surface) with a pick
5. (tr) to form (a hole) in this way
[C14: perhaps variant of pike2]
pick
(in weaving pɪk) vb (Textiles) (tr) to cast (a shuttle)
n1. (Textiles) one casting of a shuttle
2. (Textiles) a weft or filling thread
[C14: variant of pitch1]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
pick1
(pɪk)
v.t. 1. to choose or select, esp. with care.
2. to seek and find occasion for; provoke: to pick a fight.
3. to attempt to find; seek out: to pick flaws in an argument.
4. to steal the contents of: to pick a pocket.
5. to open (a lock) with a device other than the key, esp. for the purpose of burglary.
6. to pierce, dig into, or break up (something) with a pointed instrument: to pick ore.
7. to form (a hole) by such action.
8. to use a pointed instrument or the fingers on (a thing), to remove particles or adhering matter: to pick one's teeth.
9. to prepare for use by removing a covering, as feathers: to pick a fowl.
10. to detach or remove piece by piece with the fingers: to pick meat from the bones.
11. to pluck or gather one by one: to pick flowers.
12. (of birds or other animals) to take up (small bits of food) with the bill or teeth.
13. to eat daintily or in small morsels.
14. to separate, pull apart, or pull to pieces: to pick fibers.
15. a. to pluck (the strings of a musical instrument).
b. to play (a stringed instrument) by plucking with the fingers.
v.i. 16. to use a pick or other pointed instrument on something.
17. to select carefully or fastidiously.
18. to pilfer; steal.
19. to pluck or gather fruit, flowers, etc.
20. pick apart, to criticize severely or in great detail.
21. pick at, a. to find fault with; nag.
b. to eat sparingly or daintily.
c. to grasp at; touch; handle.
22. pick off, a. to remove by pulling or plucking off.
b. to single out and shoot: The hunter picked off a duck rising from the marsh.
c. Baseball. to put out (a base runner) in a pick-off play.
23. pick on, a. to criticize or blame; tease; harass.
b. to single out; choose.
24. pick out, a. to choose; select.
b. to distinguish from that which surrounds or accompanies: to pick out a well-known face in a crowd.
c. to discern (sense or meaning).
d. to work out (a melody) note by note; play by ear.
e. to extract by picking.
25. pick over, to examine (an assortment of items) in order to make a selection.
26. pick up, a. to lift or take up: to pick up a stone.
b. to cause (one's courage, health, etc.) to recover.
c. to gain, obtain, or learn casually or by occasional opportunity: I've picked up a few Japanese phrases.
d. to take on as a passenger.
e. to bring into range of reception, observation, etc.: to pick up Rome on one's radio.
f. to accelerate; gain (speed).
g. to put in good order; tidy.
h. to make progress; improve: Business is picking up.
i. to become acquainted with informally or casually, often in hope of a sexual relationship.
j. to resume or continue after being left off.
27. pick up on, Informal. become aware of; notice.
n. 28. the act of choosing or selecting; choice; selection: Take your pick.
29. a person or thing selected.
30. the choicest or most desirable part, example, or examples: This horse is the pick of the stable.
31. the right of selection.
32. the quantity of a crop picked at a particular time.
33. a stroke with something pointed.
34. a basketball maneuver or positioning to prevent a defender from interfering with a teammate's shot.
Idioms: pick someone's brains, to obtain information or ideas by questioning someone closely.
[1250–1300; (v.) Middle English
pyken, pikken, pekken, c. Dutch
pikken, German
picken, Old Norse
pikka to pick; akin to
peck2,
pike5; (n.) derivative of the v.]
pick2
(pɪk)
n. 1. a heavy tool consisting of a curved metal head tapering to a point at one or both ends, mounted on a wooden handle, and used for breaking up soil, rock, etc.
2. any pointed tool or instrument for picking: an ice pick.
4. a comb with long, widely spaced teeth.
[1300–50; Middle English
pikk(e); perhaps variant of
pike5]
pick3
(pɪk)
v.t. 1. to cast (a shuttle).
n. 2. (in a loom) one passage of the shuttle.
3. a single thread of filling yarn.
[1850–60; variant of
pitch1]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.