pick

1 of 5

verb (1)

picked; picking; picks

transitive verb

1
: to pierce, penetrate, or break up with a pointed instrument
picked the hard clay
2
a
: to remove bit by bit
pick meat from bones
b
: to remove covering or adhering matter from
pick the bones
3
a
: to gather by plucking
pick apples
b
: choose, select
tried to pick the shortest route
c
: to make (one's way) slowly and carefully
picked his way through the rubble
4
a
: pilfer, rob
pick pockets
b
: to obtain useful information from by questioning
used in such phrases as pick the brains of
5
: provoke
pick a quarrel
6
a
: to dig into : probe
picking his teeth
b
: to pluck (a stringed instrument, such as a guitar) with a pick or with the fingers
c
: to loosen or pull apart with a sharp point
pick wool
7
: to unlock with a device (such as a wire) other than the key
pick a lock

intransitive verb

1
: to use or work with a pick
2
: to gather or harvest something by plucking
3
: pilfer
used in the phrase picking and stealing
4
: to eat sparingly or mincingly
picking listlessly at his dinner

pick

2 of 5

noun (1)

1
: a blow or stroke with a pointed instrument
2
a
: the act or privilege of choosing or selecting : choice
take your pick
b
: the best or choicest one
the pick of the herd
c
: one that is picked
his pick for vice president
3
: the portion of a crop gathered at one time
the first pick of peaches
4
: a screen in basketball
5
football : an intercepted forward pass : interception
… McNabb had his worst game of the year. He threw two picks, fumbled twice, got sacked seven times.Paul Zimmerman

pick

3 of 5

noun (2)

1
: a heavy, usually long-handled iron or steel tool pointed at one or both ends compare mattock
2
a
b
c
: a small thin piece (as of plastic or metal) used to pluck the strings of a stringed instrument
3
: one of the points on the forepart of the blade of a skate used in figure skating
4
: a comb with long widely spaced teeth used to give height to a hairstyle

Illustration of pick

Illustration of pick
  • pick 2c

pick

4 of 5

verb (2)

picked; picking; picks

transitive verb

1
chiefly dialectal : to throw or thrust with effort : hurl
2
: to throw (a shuttle) across the loom

pick

5 of 5

noun (3)

1
dialectal, England
a
: the act of pitching or throwing
b
: something thrown
2
a
: a throw of the shuttle
b
: a filling thread
Phrases
pick and choose
: to select with care and deliberation
pick at
: to criticize repeatedly especially for minor faults : nag
pick on
: to single out for criticism, teasing, or bullying
picked on smaller boys
also : to single out for a particular purpose or for special attention

Examples of pick in a Sentence

Verb (1) pick peas and beans from the garden for dinner I pick you as my partner he seems to be trying to pick a fight still suffering from the shock of his wife's death, he could do no more than pick halfheartedly at his food continued to pick the block of ice until she was able to extract the shrimp Noun (1) that team is my pick to win the Super Bowl the pick of the contestants will go on to the next competition you have first pick of your office mates for the softball team in the days when corporal punishment was permissible, it was not uncommon for an inattentive student to get a sharp pick in the head with a blackboard pointer
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Vegas selected Bowers one pick after the division-rival Broncos nabbed Bo Nix. Vincent Frank, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024 This leopard-print pick from Franco Sarto is hard to beat this Prime Day 2024. Laura Jackson, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2024 Luckily, four of our top picks from each category happen to be marked down. Noah Kaufman, Bon Appétit, 9 Oct. 2024 Best Amazon Prime Day Hair-Care Deals Your hair deserves more, so treat your strands to these nourishing picks that happen to be on sale. Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pick 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pick.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English piken, partly from Old English *pīcian (akin to Middle Dutch picken to prick); partly from Middle French piquer to prick — more at pike

Noun (2)

Middle English pik

Verb (2)

Middle English pykken to pitch (a tent); akin to Middle English picchen to pitch

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

circa 1522, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of pick was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near pick

Cite this Entry

“Pick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pick. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

pick

1 of 3 verb
1
: to strike, pierce, or break up with a pointed tool
2
a
: to remove matter from bit by bit by or as if by plucking
picked the bone clean
b
: to gather by plucking
pick berries
c
: to pluck with a pick or with the fingers
pick a guitar
3
a
: select entry 1, choose
pick out a dress
b
: to make (one's way) slowly and carefully
picked their way through the rubble
4
: to steal or pilfer from
pick pockets
5
: to start (a fight) with someone else deliberately
6
: to dig at or into : probe
picking his teeth
7
: to eat sparingly or in a finicky manner
picked at her dinner
8
: to unlock without a key
pick a lock
picker noun

pick

2 of 3 noun
1
: a blow or stroke with a pointed instrument
2
a
: the act or opportunity of choosing : choice
take your pick
b
: the best or choicest one or portion
took only the pick of the crop
c
: one that is picked
his pick for vice president

pick

3 of 3 noun
1
: a heavy tool with a wooden handle and a blade pointed at one or both ends used especially to loosen or break up soil or rock
2
: a slender pointed instrument
ice pick
3
: a small thin piece of metal or plastic used to pluck a stringed instrument
4
: a comb with long widely spaced teeth used in grooming hair
Etymology

Verb

Middle English piken "to pierce, pick," from Old English pīcian (same meaning) and from early French piquer "to prick" — related to pike entry 3

Noun

Middle English pik "a pick for digging"

More from Merriam-Webster on pick

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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