pick

pick
    n 1: the person or thing chosen or selected; "he was my pick for
         mayor" [syn: {choice}, {pick}, {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}, {pick}]
    3: the best people or things in a group; "the cream of England's
       young men were killed in the Great War" [syn: {cream},
       {pick}]
    4: the yarn woven across the warp yarn in weaving [syn: {woof},
       {weft}, {filling}, {pick}]
    5: a small thin device (of metal or plastic or ivory) used to
       pluck a stringed instrument [syn: {pick}, {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: {pick}, {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: look for and gather; "pick mushrooms"; "pick flowers" [syn:
       {pick}, {pluck}, {cull}]
    3: harass with constant criticism; "Don't always pick on your
       little brother" [syn: {blame}, {find fault}, {pick}]
    4: provoke; "pick a fight or a quarrel"
    5: remove in small bits; "pick meat from a bone"
    6: remove unwanted substances from, such as feathers or pits;
       "Clean the turkey" [syn: {clean}, {pick}]
    7: pilfer or rob; "pick pockets"
    8: pay for something; "pick up the tab"; "pick up the burden of
       high-interest mortgages"; "foot the bill" [syn: {foot},
       {pick}]
    9: pull lightly but sharply with a plucking motion; "he plucked
       the strings of his mandolin" [syn: {pluck}, {plunk}, {pick}]
    10: attack with or as if with a pickaxe of ice or rocky ground,
        for example; "Pick open the ice" [syn: {pick}, {break up}]
    11: hit lightly with a picking motion [syn: {peck}, {pick},
        {beak}]
    12: eat intermittently; take small bites of; "He pieced at the
        sandwich all morning"; "She never eats a full meal--she just
        nibbles" [syn: {nibble}, {pick}, {piece}]
    

Pick \Pick\ (p[i^]k), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Picked} (p[i^]kt); p.
   pr. & vb. n. {Picking}.] [OE. picken, pikken, to prick, peck;
   akin to Icel. pikka, Sw. picka, Dan. pikke, D. pikken, G.
   picken, F. piquer, W. pigo. Cf. {Peck}, v., {Pike}, {Pitch}
   to throw.]
   1. To throw; to pitch. [Obs.]
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            As high as I could pick my lance.     --Shak.
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   2. To peck at, as a bird with its beak; to strike at with
      anything pointed; to act upon with a pointed instrument;
      to pierce; to prick, as with a pin.
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   3. To separate or open by means of a sharp point or points;
      as, to pick matted wool, cotton, oakum, etc.
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   4. To open (a lock) as by a wire.
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   5. To pull apart or away, especially with the fingers; to
      pluck; to gather, as fruit from a tree, flowers from the
      stalk, feathers from a fowl, etc.
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   6. To remove something from with a pointed instrument, with
      the fingers, or with the teeth; as, to pick the teeth; to
      pick a bone; to pick a goose; to pick a pocket.
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            Did you pick Master Slender's purse?  --Shak.
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            He picks clean teeth, and, busy as he seems
            With an old tavern quill, is hungry yet. --Cowper.
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   7. To choose; to select; to separate as choice or desirable;
      to cull; as, to pick one's company; to pick one's way; --
      often with out. "One man picked out of ten thousand."
      --Shak.
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   8. To take up; esp., to gather from here and there; to
      collect; to bring together; as, to pick rags; -- often
      with up; as, to pick up a ball or stones; to pick up
      information.
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   9. To trim. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
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   {To pick at}, to tease or vex by pertinacious annoyance.

   {To pick a bone with}. See under {Bone}.

   {To pick a thank}, to curry favor. [Obs.] --Robynson (More's
      Utopia).

   {To pick off}.
      (a) To pluck; to remove by picking.
      (b) To shoot or bring down, one by one; as, sharpshooters
          pick off the enemy.

   {To pick out}.
      (a) To mark out; to variegate; as, to pick out any dark
          stuff with lines or spots of bright colors.
      (b) To select from a number or quantity.

   {To pick to pieces}, to pull apart piece by piece; hence
      [Colloq.], to analyze; esp., to criticize in detail.

   {To pick a quarrel}, to give occasion of quarrel
      intentionally.

   {To pick up}.
      (a) To take up, as with the fingers.
      (b) To get by repeated efforts; to gather here and there;
          as, to pick up a livelihood; to pick up news.
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Pick \Pick\, n. [F. pic a pickax, a pick. See {Pick}, and cf.
   {Pike}.]
   1. A sharp-pointed tool for picking; -- often used in
      composition; as, a toothpick; a picklock.
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   2. (Mining & Mech.) A heavy iron tool, curved and sometimes
      pointed at both ends, wielded by means of a wooden handle
      inserted in the middle, -- used for digging ino the ground
      by quarrymen, roadmakers, etc.; also, a pointed hammer
      used for dressing millstones.
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   3. A pike or spike; the sharp point fixed in the center of a
      buckler. [Obs.] "Take down my buckler . . . and grind the
      pick on 't." --Beau. & Fl.
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   4. Choice; right of selection; as, to have one's pick; in cat
      breeding, the owner of a stud gets the pick of the litter.
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            France and Russia have the pick of our stables.
                                                  --Ld. Lytton.
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   5. Hence: That which would be picked or chosen first; the
      best; as, the pick of the flock.
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   6. (Print.) A particle of ink or paper imbedded in the hollow
      of a letter, filling up its face, and occasioning a spot
      on a printed sheet. --MacKellar.
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   7. (Painting) That which is picked in, as with a pointed
      pencil, to correct an unevenness in a picture.
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   8. (Weaving) The blow which drives the shuttle, -- the rate
      of speed of a loom being reckoned as so many picks per
      minute; hence, in describing the fineness of a fabric, a
      weft thread; as, so many picks to an inch.
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   {Pick dressing} (Arch.), in cut stonework, a facing made by a
      pointed tool, leaving the surface in little pits or
      depressions.

   {Pick hammer}, a pick with one end sharp and the other blunt,
      used by miners.
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Pick \Pick\, v. i.
   1. To eat slowly, sparingly, or by morsels; to nibble.
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            Why stand'st thou picking? Is thy palate sore?
                                                  --Dryden.
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   2. To do anything nicely or carefully, or by attending to
      small things; to select something with care.
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   3. To steal; to pilfer. "To keep my hands from picking and
      stealing." --Book of Com. Prayer.
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   {To pick up}, to improve by degrees; as, he is picking up in
      health or business. [Colloq. U.S.]
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327 Moby Thesaurus words for "pick":
      abuse, accelerate, accost, accumulate, acquire, adz, aggravate,
      alternativity, amass, annoy, apprehend, arrest, assemble, ax,
      badger, bait, be at, beak, become acquainted with, bedevil, beset,
      best, bother, bread knife, bring in, bring together, bristle,
      browbeat, brown off, brush, bug, bully, bullyrag, bunt, burn up,
      bushwhacker, bust, butcher knife, buy, call for, carp at,
      carving knife, catch, champion, chaser, chisel, chivy, choice,
      choose, choose out, choosing, chosen, chuck, clean up, cleaver,
      clipper, clippers, co-optation, co-option, collar, collect,
      come by, come down with, contract, cream, criticize, crop,
      crop herbs, cull, cut, dab, dagger, decide between, decision,
      devil, dig, dig up, discern, discompose, discriminate, distemper,
      distinguish, disturb, dog, elect, election, elite, exasperate,
      excerpt, exclusive, exercise, extract, fash, fat, filling, fillip,
      find, first choice, flick, flip, flirt, flower, foment,
      free choice, free will, fret at, fuss at, gain, garner, gather,
      gather in, get, get better, get hold of, get in, get together,
      glean, go to get, gouge, grabble, graze, gripe, grub, grub up,
      hack, handpick, harass, harry, harvest, hassle, hatchet, hay,
      heckle, hector, heft, henpeck, hoe, hoist, hound, hunting knife,
      improve, incite, increase, initiate, intimidate, irk, irritate,
      jackknife, jest, kill, knife, lance, lancet, learn, letter-opener,
      lift up, machete, make a comeback, make a selection, make headway,
      make out, make progress, mark, master, mattock, meet, miff, molest,
      mow, nab, nag, nag at, neaten, needle, nettle, nibble, nibble at,
      nick, niggle, nippers, nonesuch, nonpareil, nosh, nudzh, nut,
      obtain, opt for, optimum, option, paper cutter, paper knife,
      paragon, paring knife, pat, peck, peck at, peeve, penknife,
      perk up, persecute, pester, pick and choose, pick at, pick off,
      pick on, pick out, pick up, pickax, picked, pinch, pique, plague,
      plectron, plectrum, plowshare, pluck, pluck the beard, plunk,
      pother, prefer, preference, preoption, pride, prime, prize,
      provoke, pull in, purchase, queen, quintessence, raise up, rake up,
      rally, rap, razor, razor blade, reap, reap and carry, recognize,
      recoup, recover, ride, rile, roil, round up, ruffle, run in,
      saw knife, sax, scalpel, scare up, scissors, scoop,
      scrape together, scrape up, scraper, screen out, scuffle hoe,
      scythe, select, selected, selection, separate, settle on,
      settle upon, share, shears, sheath knife, shoot, shoot down,
      sickle, sidecutters, sift, sift out, single out, snack, snap,
      snips, sort out, spear, speed up, spokeshave, start, stir up,
      straighten out, straighten up, strum, superlative, surgical knife,
      sweep the strings, sword, table knife, take, take in,
      take into custody, take up, tap, taunt, tease, tell apart,
      the best, the best ever, the pick, the tops, the very best, thrum,
      tickle, tidy up, tip, top, torment, touch, try the patience, twang,
      tweak the nose, vex, volition, warp, wedge, weft, whisk, will,
      winnow, woof, work up, worry, yap at