Meaning of pick In English

• 0 to take some things and leave others:

  • Pick a card from the pack.

  • One of my sisters has been picked for the Olympic team.

  • [ + obj + to infinitive ] She was picked to play for the team.

  • The police asked him if he could pick (out) the killer from a series of photos.

  • The fairest way to decide the winner is to pick a name out of a hat/at random (= without looking or choosing).

  • They picked their way (= carefully chose a route) down the broken steps.

  • He's brilliant at picking winners (= choosing what will be successful).

  • The richest universities can pick and choose which students they take.

• 1 to remove separate things or small pieces from something, especially with the fingers:

  • I picked a piece of fluff off my shiny black suit.

  • The child continued picking (at) a sore on his leg (= trying to remove parts of it with his fingers).

  • [ + obj + adj ] The carcass had been picked clean (= all the flesh had been removed) by other animals and birds.

  • disapproving He kept picking his nose (= removing mucus from it with his finger).

  • They were picking strawberries for twelve hours a day.

  • I picked some roses this morning.

  • Machines pick the fruit (from/off the trees).

• 2 When you pick a string on a guitar or similar instrument, you pull it quickly and release it suddenly with your fingers to produce a note.

• 3 choice:

  • You can have first pick of the desserts.

  • The plane was fairly empty so we had our pick of seats.

  • The shirts come in five different colours - just take your pick.

• 4 a pickaxe :

  • picks and shovels

  • a toothpick

• 5 a small, thin piece of plastic, metal, etc. that isheld between the fingers and thumb and usedfor playing instruments such as the guitar

• 6 to take some things and leave others:

  • She’s been picked for the Olympic team.

  • We finally picked February 14 as the date for our wedding.

• 7 to remove or move something with your fingers or hands:

  • I picked a piece of lint off my suit.

  • We picked apples yesterday.

• 8 a thin piece of plastic or metal used to pull at the strings of a guitar

• 9 a pickax, or a sharp, pointed tool:

  • They worked with a pick and shovel.

• 10 a choice, or something that is chosen:

  • [ U ] Mick gets first pick of where to sit.

  • [ C ] Here are my picks for the ten best restaurants.

• 11 to choose items that have been ordered by a customer:

  • He picked goods into pallets for the delivery.

  • Your groceries will be carefully picked, packed, and delivered to your door.

• 12 to choose particular shares in which to invest:

  • If you pick stocks thoughtfully and hold them patiently, your gains should be considerable.

• 13 to remove fruit, cotton, etc. from a tree or plant when it is ready:

  • Immigrants do much of the menial labor in town, picking fruit, cleaning hotel rooms, and sweeping the sidewalk.

• 14 particular shares that you choose to invest in:

  • His stock picks rose 112% last year. What's his secret?