pick (n.)

  1. the person or thing chosen or selected; he was my pick for mayor

    [ Syn: choice , selection ]

  2. 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

    [ Syn: picking ]

  3. the best people or things in a group; the cream of Englands young men were killed in the Great War

    [ Syn: cream ]

  4. the yarn woven across the warp yarn in weaving

    [ Syn: woof , weft , filling ]

  5. a small thin device (of metal or plastic or ivory) used to pluck a stringed instrument

    [ Syn: plectrum , plectron ]

  6. a thin sharp implement used for removing unwanted material; he used a pick to clean the dirt out of the cracks'

  7. 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

    [ Syn: pickax , pickaxe ]

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

  9. the act of choosing or selecting; your choice of colors was unfortunate; you can take your pick

    [ Syn: choice , selection , option ]

    pick (v.)

  1. select carefully from a group; She finally picked her successor; He picked his way carefully'

  2. attack with or as if with a pickaxe of ice or rocky ground, for example; Pick open the ice

    [ Syn: break up ]

  3. hit lightly with a picking motion

    [ Syn: peck , beak ]

  4. eat intermittently; take small bites of; He pieced at the sandwich all morning; She never eats a full meal--she just nibbles

    [ Syn: nibble , piece ]

  5. look for and gather; pick mushrooms; pick flowers

    [ Syn: pluck , cull ]

  6. harass with constant criticism; Dont always pick on your little brother

    [ Syn: blame , find fault ]

  7. provoke; pick a fight or a quarrel'

  8. remove in small bits; pick meat from a bone'

  9. remove unwanted substances from, such as feathers or pits; Clean the turkey

    [ Syn: clean ]

  10. pilfer or rob; pick pockets'

  11. pay for something; pick up the tab; pick up the burden of high-interest mortgages; foot the bill

    [ Syn: foot ]

  12. pull lightly but sharply with a plucking motion; he plucked the strings of his mandolin

    [ Syn: pluck , plunk ]

The dictionary is based on the WordNet Electronic Lexical Database.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2011 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.