Meaning of pick in English

pick

verb

/pɪk/ uk

/pɪk/

pick verb (CHOOSE)

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B1 [ T ]

to take some things and leave others:

Pick a card from the pack.

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

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

The committee will pick the successful candidate from a short list of four.

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

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

be picked at random The winning lottery numbers will be picked at random (= without choosing).

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

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

Synonyms

choose
elect 
select 

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

to choose or choose to do something

chooseThere are thirty-one flavors of ice cream to choose from.
pickHe's been picked for the school football team.
selectWe've selected three candidates.
opt (for)Mike's opted for early retirement.
decide (on)I've decided on blue walls for the bathroom.
go forUK I think I'll go for the chocolate cake.

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pick and choose often disapproving

to take some things but not others:

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

More examplesFewer examples

I was never picked for the school football team.
I asked him which pastry he wanted and he picked an almond croissant.
I gave her a choice of several toys and she picked a doll.
Of all the gorgeous clothes in the store she picked a really plain gray sweater.
Do you want to help me pick some numbers for my lottery ticket.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Taking and choosing

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pick verb (REMOVE)

B1 [ I or T ]

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

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

The doctor used a probe to pick the wax out of my ear.

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

pick your nose He kept picking his nose (= removing mucus from it with his finger).

B1 [ T ]

When you pick flowers or fruit, you take them off a plant or tree:

They were picking strawberries for twelve hours a day.

I picked some roses this morning.

pick something from something Machines pick the fruit from the trees.

pick something off something We picked some elderberries off a branch.

[ T ]

to remove meat from the bones of a bird or animal :

In the kitchen Maya was laboriously picking chickens.

I store the meat, and throw the picked carcass, skin, etc. into the pot with water and some vegetables.

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

More examplesFewer examples

You ought to pick those lettuces before they shrivel and die.
I tend to leave the windfalls for the birds to pick at.
He thought we'd been picking his apples and came after us with a stick.
She sat there sulking and picking the pills off her sweater.
The fruit is picked and artificially ripened before shipping.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Removing and getting rid of things

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Gardening - general words

Removing and extracting

Preparing food

pick verb (PLAY INSTRUMENT)

[ T ]

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.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Playing music

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Grammar

Fixed expressions with and

We often use and in common fixed expressions. The order of the words cannot change: peace and quiet, pick and choose, come and go, knife and fork, black and white. …

Pick or pick up?

Pick means ‘remove small pieces of something from something else, usually with your hands’: …

Idioms

pick someone's brain
pick someone's pocket
pick yourself up off the floor
pick a fight/quarrel/argument
pick holes in something
pick 'n' mix
pick up what someone is putting down

Phrasal verbs

pick at something
pick someone/something off
pick on someone
pick someone/something out
pick something out
pick over something
pick through something
pick someone/something up
pick something up
pick (something) up

More phrasal verbs

pick someone up
pick up (something)
pick someone up on something
pick up on something

pick

noun

/pɪk/ uk

/pɪk/

pick noun (CHOICE)

[ U ]

choice:

You can have first pick of the desserts.

[ C ]

a thing or person chosen, especially a player chosen to play for a sports team:

He was expected to be one of the top 10 picks in the upcoming draft.

have your pick

to have a large choice available:

have your pick of something The plane was fairly empty so we had our pick of seats.

take your pick

to choose the one(s) you want from the different types available:

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

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Taking and choosing

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pick noun (TOOL)

[ C ]

a pickaxe :

picks and shovels

merlinpf/iStock/Getty Images Plus/GettyImages

[ C ]

especially in combinations, a sharp pointed tool:

a toothpick

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Tools

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pick noun (IN MUSIC)

[ C ]

a small, thin piece of plastic, metal, etc. that is held between the fingers and thumb and is used for playing instruments such as the guitar

Synonym

plectrum mainly UK

Matthew Bosco/EyeEm/GettyImages

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Musical instruments

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pick noun (SPORTS)

[ C ]

in football, an interception (= an occasion when a player catches the ball as it is being passed between two players of the opposing team):

The quarterback threw a pick in the fourth quarter.

The strong safety made a pick and returned it for a touchdown.

[ C ]

in basketball, a move in which a player positions themselves between a player from their team who has the ball and a defending player from the opposing team:

You've got to be moving without the ball, making back cuts, and setting picks.

The best players are masters at utilizing picks to create space for open shots.

Synonym

screen

Related word

pick-and-roll

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Football

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Basketball, netball & volleyball

Idiom

the pick of something

(Definition of pick from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

pick | Intermediate English

pick

verb [ T ]

/pɪk/

pick verb [T] (CHOOSE)

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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.

pick verb [T] (REMOVE)

to remove or move something with your fingers or hands:

I picked a piece of lint off my suit.

We picked apples yesterday.

Idioms

pick a fight
pick and choose
pick someone’s brain
pick someone’s pocket
pick up steam
pick up the tab (for something)
pick your way somewhere
the pick of something

Phrasal verbs

pick at something
pick off someone/something
pick on someone
pick out something/someone
pick over something
pick through something
pick up
pick up something/someone
pick up someone/something
pick up something

More phrasal verbs

pick up someone
pick up (something)
pick up on something
pick up on something

pick

noun

/pɪk/

pick noun (MUSIC TOOL)

[ C ]

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

pick noun (DIGGING TOOL)

[ C ]

a pickax, or a sharp, pointed tool:

They worked with a pick and shovel.

pick noun (THING TO CHOOSE)

[ C/U ]

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.

(Definition of pick from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

pick | Business English

pick

verb [ T ]

/pɪk/ us

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COMMERCE

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.

FINANCE, STOCK MARKET

to choose particular shares in which to invest:

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

PRODUCTION

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.

Phrasal verbs

pick up

pick sth up

pick

noun [ C ]

/pɪk/ us

FINANCE, STOCK MARKET

particular shares that you choose to invest in:

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

(Definition of pick from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of pick

pick

Both can pick up your voice through one closed door.

From CNET

I say pick a brand and stick with it.

From Huffington Post

The show just got picked up for a third season.

From Hollywood Reporter

So step away from the videogames and pick up a book.

From Huffington Post

First, don't look at anyone -- gawkers are universally creepy, so pick a spot on the ground and stare.

From CNET

If he feels like you're always picking at him, he'll strike back and it won't feel good.

From CNN

There are bad pick-up lines, and then there are bad pick-up lines delivered by this guy.

From Huffington Post

This allows all the teams that don't make the postseason a chance at the first pick.

From ESPN

It's happy as long as users pick one of its offerings.

From Ars Technica

She picked the same engagement ring that he'd secretly purchased for her before they arrived together.

From Chicago Tribune

But often, it's not the star students who get picked.

From Chicago Daily Herald

Sixty-two percent of women picked out the guys who'd told researchers separately about their less-than-faithful romantic history.

From TIME

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

What is the pronunciation of pick?