From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpickpick1 /pɪk/ ●●● S1 W1 verb [transitive] 1 choose somethingCHOOSE to choose a person or thing, for example because they are the best or most suitable Students have to pick three courses from a list of 15. I don’t know which colour to pick. Who’s going to pick the team for the match on Saturday?pick somebody/something for something I wasn’t picked for the hockey team.pick somebody/something as something The hotel was picked as the best small hotel in the area.pick somebody to do something He was picked to run in the 100 metres. Russell spoke slowly, picking his words (=choosing what to say) very carefully. → picked► see thesaurus at choose2 flowers/fruit etcPULL to remove a flower, fruit, nut etc from a plant or tree We picked some blackberries to eat on the way. Amy picked a small bunch of wild flowers. a dish of freshly picked peas3 remove something [always + adverb/preposition]REMOVE to remove something carefully from a place, especially something smallpick something from something Ahmed picked the melon pips from his teeth.pick something off (something) She was nervously picking bits of fluff off her sweater.pick something out of something The goalkeeper spent a lot of his time picking the ball out of the back of the net.4 → pick your way through/across/among etc something5 → pick your nose6 → pick your teeth7 → pick somebody’s brains8 → pick a quarrel/fight (with somebody)9 → pick and choose10 → pick a lock11 → pick a hole in something12 → pick holes in something13 → pick something clean14 → pick somebody’s pocket15 → pick a winner16 → pick something to pieces17 musical instrument American EnglishAPM to play a musical instrument by pulling at its strings with your fingers SYN pluck → have a bone to pick with somebody at bone1(10) → pick at something → pick somebody/something ↔ off → pick on somebody/something → pick somebody/something ↔ out → pick over something → pick through something → pick up → pick up after somebody → pick up on something→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
pick• I'll pick a few flowers to take to mum's.• The class was divided into four teams, and each group was asked to pick a leader.• Pick a number from one to five.• Do you think he might pick another woman for the Supreme Court?• Migrant workers come to the orchard each autumn to pick apples.• Joe picked Steve and Terry to be on his team.• In the end, Katie picked the blue dress.• Let me pick the movie tonight - I don't want to see another comedy.• Laura's out in the garden picking tomatoes.• Republicans seized control of both houses of Congress, picking up a whopping 117 House seats along the way.• By Oscar night, Taylor had recovered sufficiently to pick up hers for Butterfield 8.• Vietcong couriers slipped into Saigon to pick up his reports, which he wrote in invisible ink made from starch.• Maybe he used a towel to pick up the iron teakettle.• It has already made behind-the-scenes preparations to share the job of picking up the pieces.• After two or three days I started picking up.pick the team• He was not attempting to pick the team for tonight's First Division match against Wimbledon.freshly picked• These lilacs are freshly picked.• Herbs are at their best when freshly picked.• Sure enough, inside we found some beautiful zucchini and tomatoes, freshly picked from a nearby garden.• A garland of freshly picked marigolds hung from the mirror.• She was bending over a basket of freshly picked marrow flowers, arranging them to her satisfaction.• Live food Try to eat freshly picked or freshly killed foods.pick something out of something• I bet you he can pick him out of a crowd of people.• She picked Graham out of a police lineup after he was arrested for unrelated crimes.• They had grown up and gone to work picking stump out of every other burned off field in this Florida county.• Ralph picked a pencil out of her pencil cup.• It must be marvelous to just belong to some legislative body and just pick money out of the air.• She unerringly picks us out of the crowd in the cavernous old building.• Chaucer and Laurence Sterne picked plums out of theirs.pickpick2 ●○○ noun 1 [uncountable]CHOOSE if you can have your pick or take your pick of different things, you can choose which one you want Have a look at the menu and take your pick. He knew he could take his pick of any of the girls in the office. Sarah could have her pick of any university in the country.have/get first pick (of something) She always gets first pick of the videos.2 → the pick of something3 [countable] informalCHOOSE your pick is the person or thing that you have chosen from a group SYN choice There are a lot of good horses in the race, but Archimedes would be my pick.4 [countable]TZ a pickaxe5 [countable] informalAPM a small flat object that you use for pulling at the strings of a musical instrument such as a guitar SYN plectrum → ice pickExamples from the Corpus
pick• Selkirk and four soldiers, well-armed, carrying picks and shovels, were waiting rather self-consciously near the main gate.• Mutombo, the fourth pick in the NBA draft, is averaging 19 points a game.• Last season, his picks resulted in losses of $ 2,370.• Jacksonville took Hardy with the second pick, leaving Rice.• Instead, they still have the same seven picks, including the third overall and one in each round.• I faxed each of them the list of no-load stocks and asked for their picks.• They were armed with pick axe handles and staves.take ... pick• Take your pick from bright colours, bold patterns or classic neutrals Dramatic colours look great with neutral, slimline pants.• Berlin took their pick, then allowed Sotheby's to sell what was left over.• There are all those extra rooms, she can take her pick.• He also planned to recommend not one, but three solid pastoral candidates of whom the cardinal could take his pick.• Big and bold or overdone, take your pick.• Nemo or Popeye, take your pick.• Savers take their pick and pay for the arrangements they want in today's prices.• No, they take their pick.From Longman Business Dictionarypickpick /pɪk/ verb → pick up→ See Verb tableOrigin pick1 (1200-1300) Partly from unrecorded Old English pician; partly from Old French piquer “to prick” pick2 1. (1500-1600) → PICK12. (1300-1400) pike 