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/pɪk/ · pick
noun
- A tool with a pointed metal head used for breaking up hard ground or rock, commonly known as a pickaxe. He swung the pick to break the frozen soil.
- A slender instrument used to manipulate the tumblers of a lock without the original key. The burglar slipped a lock pick into the door.
- A comb with widely spaced teeth designed for detangling tightly curled hair. She used a pick to gently separate her curls.
- A small, thin piece of material, often plastic or metal, used to pluck or strum the strings of a stringed instrument. He strummed the guitar with a bright orange pick.
- A choice or selection, especially one that is considered favorable. That new restaurant is a great pick for dinner.
verb
- To grasp something with the fingers or fingernails and pull it away. Don't pick at the scab.
- To harvest fruit or vegetables by removing them from the plant. It's time to pick the tomatoes.
- To pluck or remove something, such as flowers, from its source. She picked flowers in the meadow.
- To select or choose from a range of options. You can pick any color you like.
- To manipulate a lock's mechanism in order to open it without a key. He learned how to pick a lock for his locksmith apprenticeship.
- To strike the strings of a stringed instrument with a pick. She picked the bass line with precision.
Did you know? The phrase ‘pick of the litter’ originally referred to the best animal chosen from a newborn litter, and in the 19th‑century American West ‘pick’ was slang for a small, sharp tool carried by prospectors.