pick 1 (p k)v. picked, pick·ing, picks v.tr.1. a. To select from a group: The best swimmer was picked. b. To select or cull. 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). 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. 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 catch (a base runner) off base and put out with a quick throw, as from the pitcher or catcher, often to a specified base. 3. Sports To intercept, as a football pass. 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. a. To take up (something) by hand: pick up a book. b. To collect or gather: picked up some pebbles. c. To tidy up: picked up the bedroom. 2. To take on (passengers or freight, for example): The bus picks up commuters at five stops. 3. 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. 4. Informal To take into custody: The agents picked up six smugglers. 5. Slang To make casual acquaintance with, usually in anticipation of sexual relations. 6. a. To come upon and follow: The dog picked up the scent. b. To come upon and observe: picked up two submarines on sonar. 7. To continue after a break: Let's pick up the discussion after lunch. 8. Informal To improve in condition or activity: Sales picked up last fall. 9. Slang To prepare a sudden departure: She just picked up and left. 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 (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 *p cian, to prick, and from Old French piquer, to pierce (from Vulgar Latin *picc re; see pique).]
pick er n. |
pick 2 (pk)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 1 Verb 1. to choose or select 2. to gather (fruit, berries, or crops) from (a tree, bush, or field) 3. to remove loose particles from: she picked some bits of fluff off her sleeve 4. (foll. by at)to nibble (at) without appetite 5. to provoke (an argument or fight) deliberately 6. to separate (strands or fibres), as in weaving 7. to steal from (someone's pocket) 8. to open (a lock) with an instrument other than a key 9. to make (one's way) carefully on foot: they picked their way through the rubble 10. pick and choose to select fastidiously or fussily Noun 1. choice: take your pick 2. the best: the pick of the country's young cricketers
pick 2 Noun 1. a tool with a handle and a long curved steel head, used for loosening soil or breaking rocks 2. any tool used for picking, such as an ice pick or toothpick 3. a plectrum Verb to pierce or break up (a hard surface) with a pick [perhaps a variant of pike2]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. |  pick - the person or thing chosen or selected; "he was my pick for mayor"deciding, decision making - the cognitive process of reaching a decision; "a good executive must be good at decision making" pleasure - a formal expression; "he serves at the pleasure of the President" favorite, favourite - something regarded with special favor or liking; "that book is one of my favorites" way - doing as one pleases or chooses; "if I had my way" | | 2. |  pick - the quantity of a crop that is harvested; "he sent the first picking of berries to the market"; "it was the biggest peach pick in years"output, yield, production - the quantity of something (as a commodity) that is created (usually within a given period of time); "production was up in the second quarter" | | 3. | pick - the best people or things in a group; "the cream of England's young men were killed in the Great War"elite, elite group - a group or class of persons enjoying superior intellectual or social or economic status | | 4. |  pick - the yarn woven across the warp yarn in weavingcloth, fabric, textile, material - artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers; "the fabric in the curtains was light and semitransparent"; "woven cloth originated in Mesopotamia around 5000 BC"; "she measured off enough material for a dress" thread, yarn - a fine cord of twisted fibers (of cotton or silk or wool or nylon etc.) used in sewing and weaving weave - pattern of weaving or structure of a fabric | | 5. |  pick - a small thin device (of metal or plastic or ivory) used to pluck a stringed instrumentdevice - an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose; "the device is small enough to wear on your wrist"; "a device intended to conserve water" | | 6. | pick - a thin sharp implement used for removing unwanted material; "he used a pick to clean the dirt out of the cracks"ice pick, icepick - pick consisting of a steel rod with a sharp point; used for breaking up blocks of ice toothpick - pick consisting of a small strip of wood or plastic; used to pick food from between the teeth | | 7. |  pick - a heavy iron tool with a wooden handle and a curved head that is pointed on both ends; "they used picks and sledges to break the rocks"edge tool - any cutting tool with a sharp cutting edge (as a chisel or knife or plane or gouge) mattock - a kind of pick that is used for digging; has a flat blade set at right angles to the handle | | 8. | pick - a basketball maneuver; obstructing an opponent with one's body; "he was called for setting an illegal pick" | | 9. |  pick - the act of choosing or selecting; "your choice of colors was unfortunate"; "you can take your pick"action - something done (usually as opposed to something said); "there were stories of murders and other unnatural actions" casting - the choice of actors to play particular roles in a play or movie sampling - (statistics) the selection of a suitable sample for study willing, volition - the act of making a choice; "followed my father of my own volition" election - the act of selecting someone or something; the exercise of deliberate choice; "her election of medicine as a profession" balloting, vote, voting, ballot - a choice that is made by counting the number of people in favor of each alternative; "there were only 17 votes in favor of the motion"; "they allowed just one vote per person" | | Verb | 1. | pick - select carefully from a group; "She finally picked her successor"; "He picked his way carefully"choose, pick out, select, take - pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives; "Take any one of these cards"; "Choose a good husband for your daughter"; "She selected a pair of shoes from among the dozen the salesgirl had shown her" hand-pick - pick personally and very carefully; "the director hand-picked his new team" | | 2. | pick - look for and gather; "pick mushrooms"; "pick flowers"mushroom - pick or gather mushrooms; "We went mushrooming in the Fall" berry - pick or gather berries; "We went berrying in the summer" pick up - give a passenger or a hitchhiker a lift; "We picked up a hitchhiker on the highway" catch, pick up - perceive with the senses quickly, suddenly, or momentarily; "I caught the aroma of coffee"; "He caught the allusion in her glance"; "ears open to catch every sound"; "The dog picked up the scent"; "Catch a glimpse" | | 3. | pick - harass with constant criticism; "Don't always pick on your little brother"criticise, criticize, pick apart, knock - find fault with; express criticism of; point out real or perceived flaws; "The paper criticized the new movie"; "Don't knock the food--it's free" | | 4. | pick - provoke; "pick a fight or a quarrel" | | 5. | pick - remove in small bits; "pick meat from a bone"remove, take away, withdraw, take - remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract; "remove a threat"; "remove a wrapper"; "Remove the dirty dishes from the table"; "take the gun from your pocket"; "This machine withdraws heat from the environment" | | 6. | pick - remove unwanted substances from, such as feathers or pits; "Clean the turkey"remove, take away, withdraw, take - remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract; "remove a threat"; "remove a wrapper"; "Remove the dirty dishes from the table"; "take the gun from your pocket"; "This machine withdraws heat from the environment" | | 7. | pick - pilfer or rob; "pick pockets"rob - take something away by force or without the consent of the owner; "The burglars robbed him of all his money" | | 8. | pick - pay for something; "pick up the tab"; "pick up the burden of high-interest mortgages"; "foot the bill"pay - give money, usually in exchange for goods or services; "I paid four dollars for this sandwich"; "Pay the waitress, please" | | 9. | pick - pull lightly but sharply with a plucking motion; "he plucked the strings of his mandolin"draw, pull, force - cause to move by pulling; "draw a wagon"; "pull a sled" twang - pluck (strings of an instrument); "He twanged his bow" | | 10. | pick - attack with or as if with a pickaxe of ice or rocky ground, for example; "Pick open the ice"pierce - cut or make a way through; "the knife cut through the flesh"; "The path pierced the jungle"; "Light pierced through the forest" | | 11. | pick - hit lightly with a picking motionstrike - deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon; "The teacher struck the child"; "the opponent refused to strike"; "The boxer struck the attacker dead" | | 12. | pick - eat intermittently; take small bites of; "He pieced at the sandwich all morning"; "She never eats a full meal--she just nibbles"eat - take in solid food; "She was eating a banana"; "What did you eat for dinner last night?" |
pick verb 1. select, choose, identify, elect, nominate, sort out, specify, opt for, single out, mark out, plump for, hand-pick, decide upon, cherry-pick, fix upon, settle on or upon, sift out << OPPOSITE reject noun 6. best, prime, finest, tops ( slang) choicest, flower, prize, elect, pride, elite, cream, jewel in the crown, crème de la crème ( French) pick at something nibble (at), peck at, have no appetite for, play or toy with, push round the plate, eat listlessly pick on someone 1. torment, bully, bait, tease, get at ( informal) badger, persecute, hector, goad, victimize, have it in for ( informal) tyrannize, have a down on ( informal) pick something up 2. obtain, get, find, buy, score ( slang) discover, purchase, acquire, locate, come across, come by, unearth, garner, stumble across, chance upon, happen upon pick something or someone out pick something or someone up pick up 1. improve, recover, rally, get better, bounce back, make progress, make a comeback ( informal) perk up, turn the corner, gain ground, take a turn for the better, be on the road to recovery 2. recover, improve, rally, get better, mend, perk up, turn the corner, be on the mend, take a turn for the better pick your way tread carefully, work through, move cautiously, walk tentatively, find or make your way  Translations pick [pɪk] n ( tool) (also: pick-axe) → pico, piquetathe pick of → lo mejor de; to pick one's nose/teeth → hurgarse las narices/escarbarse los dientes; to pick one's way through → andar a tientas, abrirse camino; to pick sb's brains → aprovecharse de los conocimientos de algnpick on vt fus [+ person] → meterse con pick up vi (= improve) [ sales] → ir mejor: [ patient] → reponerse: ( FINANCE) → recobrarse to pick up speed → acelerarse; to pick o.s. up → levantarse;
 pick [pɪk] n (= tool) (also: pick-axe) → pic m, pioche fto pick a bone → ronger un os; to pick one's teeth → se curer les dents; pick off vt (= kill) → (viser soigneusement et) abattre pick on vt fus [+ person] → harceler
 pick [pɪk] n (also: pickaxe) → Spitzhacke fto pick sb's brains → jdn als Informationsquelle nutzen; pick at pick vt fus [+ food] → herumstochern in +dat pick on pick vt fus (= criticize) → herumhacken auf +dat to pick up speed pick → schneller werden; to pick o.s. up pick ( after falling etc) → sich aufrappeln
 pick [pɪk] n ( tool) (also: pick-axe ) → piccone mtake your pick → scelga; the pick of → il fior fiore di; to pick one's nose → mettersi le dita nel naso; to pick one's teeth → stuzzicarsi i denti; to pick sb's brains → farsi dare dei suggerimenti da qn; to pick pockets → borseggiare; pick on vt fus [+ person] → avercela con pick up vi (= improve) → migliorarsi to pick o.s. up → rialzarsi;
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picking apart