pick

/pɪk/

/pɪk/

Other forms: picked; picking; picks

When you pick something, you choose it, the way you pick apples in the fall or when you pick a partner to work with in biology class. But if you pick on someone, you bug them in a mean way.

Something you pick can be called a pick, like the "pick of the litter,” the best dog of the bunch. You can also use a pick to chop ice or play guitar. You can pick at something, like a loose thread, or pick something up, like your new puppy. You could pick on someone, but that's a good way to pick a fight, or provoke an argument. Pick is an old word related to “peck, sting, and pinch.”

Definitions of pick

1. verb

   look for and gather
   “pick mushrooms”

   “pick flowers”

   synonyms: cull, pluck

   types:

   mushroom

   pick or gather mushrooms

   berry

   pick or gather berries

   blackberry

   pick or gather blackberries

   type of:

   collect, garner, gather, pull together

   assemble or get together
2. verb

   select carefully from a group
   “She finally picked her successor”

   “He picked his way carefully”

   types:

   hand-pick

   pick personally and very carefully

   type of:

   choose, pick out, select, take

   pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
3. noun

   the person or thing chosen or selected
   “he was my pick for mayor”

   synonyms: choice, selection

   types:

   pleasure

   a formal expression

   favorite, favourite

   something regarded with special favor or liking

   way

   doing as one pleases or chooses

   type of:

   deciding, decision making

   the cognitive process of reaching a decision
4. noun

   the best people or things in a group
   synonyms: cream

   type of:

   elite, elite group

   a group or class of persons enjoying superior intellectual or social or economic status
5. noun

   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”

   synonyms: picking

   type of:

   output, production, yield

   the quantity of something (as a commodity) that is created (usually within a given period of time)
6. noun

   the act of choosing or selecting
   “you can take your pick”

   synonyms: choice, option, selection

   types:

   casting

   the choice of actors to play particular roles in a play or movie

   coloration, colouration

   choice and use of colors (as by an artist)

   sampling

   (statistics) the selection of a suitable sample for study

   conclusion, decision, determination

   the act of making up your mind about something

   volition, willing

   the act of making a choice

   election

   the act of selecting someone or something; the exercise of deliberate choice

   ballot, balloting, vote, voting

   a choice that is made by counting the number of people in favor of each alternative

   random sampling

   the selection of a random sample; each element of the population has an equal chance of been selected

   proportional sampling, representative sampling, stratified sampling

   the population is divided into subpopulations (strata) and random samples are taken of each stratum

   intention

   an act of intending; a volition that you intend to carry out

   appointment, assignment, designation, naming

   the act of putting a person into a non-elective position

   call

   (sports) the decision made by an umpire or referee

   move

   the act of deciding to do something

   casting lots, drawing lots, sortition

   making a chance decision by using lots (straws or pebbles etc.) that are thrown or drawn

   resolution

   a decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner

   co-optation, co-option

   the selection of a new member (usually by a vote of the existing membership)

   block vote

   a vote proportional in magnitude to the number of people that a delegate represents

   cumulative vote

   an election in which each person has as many votes as there are positions to be filled and they can all be cast for one candidate or can be distributed in any manner

   secret ballot

   a vote in which each person's choice is secret but the totaled votes are public

   split ticket

   a ballot cast by a voter who votes for candidates from more than one party

   straight ticket

   a ballot cast by a voter who votes for all the candidates of one party

   multiple voting

   the act of voting in more than one place by the same person at the same election (illegal in U.S.)

   casting vote

   the deciding vote cast by the presiding officer to resolve a tie

   veto

   a vote that blocks a decision

   write-in

   a vote cast by writing in the name of a candidate who is not listed on the ballot

   abstention

   the act of declining to vote for or against something

   type of:

   action

   something done (usually as opposed to something said)
7. verb

   remove in small bits
   “pick meat from a bone”

   type of:

   remove, take, take away, withdraw

   remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract
8. verb

   eat intermittently; take small bites of
   synonyms: nibble, piece

   type of:

   eat

   take in solid food
9. verb

   remove unwanted substances from, such as feathers or pits
   synonyms: clean

   type of:

   remove, take, take away, withdraw

   remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract
10. noun

    a thin sharp implement used for removing unwanted material
    “he used a pick to clean the dirt out of the cracks”

    types:

    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

    type of:

    hand tool

    a tool used with workers' hands
11. noun

    a small thin device (of metal or plastic or ivory) used to pluck a stringed instrument
    synonyms: plectron, plectrum

    types:

    guitar pick

    a plectrum used to pluck a guitar

    type of:

    device

    an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose
12. verb

    pull lightly but sharply with a plucking motion
    synonyms: pluck, plunk

    types:

    twang

    pluck (strings of an instrument)

    type of:

    draw, force, pull

    cause to move by pulling
13. verb

    hit lightly with a picking motion
    synonyms: beak, peck

    type of:

    strike, zonk

    deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon
14. noun

    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”

    synonyms: pickax, pickaxe

    types:

    mattock

    a kind of pick that is used for digging; has a flat blade set at right angles to the handle

    type of:

    edge tool

    any cutting tool with a sharp cutting edge (as a chisel or knife or plane or gouge)
15. verb

    attack with or as if with a pickaxe of ice or rocky ground, for example
    “Pick open the ice”

    synonyms: break up

    type of:

    pierce

    cut or make a way through
16. verb

    provoke
    “pick a fight or a quarrel”

    type of:

    call forth, evoke, kick up, provoke

    evoke or provoke to appear or occur
17. verb

    harass with constant criticism
    “Don't always pick on your little brother”

    synonyms: blame, find fault

    type of:

    criticise, criticize, knock, pick apart

    find fault with; express criticism of; point out real or perceived flaws
18. verb

    pilfer or rob
    “pick pockets”

    type of:

    rob

    take something away by force or without the consent of the owner
19. verb

    pay for something
    “pick up the tab”

    “pick up the burden of high-interest mortgages”

    synonyms: foot

    type of:

    pay

    give money, usually in exchange for goods or services
20. noun

    the yarn woven across the warp yarn in weaving
    synonyms: filling, weft, woof

    type of:

    thread, yarn

    a fine cord of twisted fibers (of cotton or silk or wool or nylon etc.) used in sewing and weaving
21. noun

    a basketball maneuver; obstructing an opponent with one's body
    “he was called for setting an illegal pick”

    type of:

    basketball play

    a play executed by a basketball team