picked

[ pikt ]

/ pɪkt /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR picked ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

specially chosen or selected, usually for special skill: a crew of picked men.

cleared or cleaned by or as if by picking: picked fruit.

Origin of picked

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at pick¹, -ed²

Words nearby picked

pickaback plant, pickaninny, pickaroon, pickax, pickaxe, picked, picked over, pickeer, pickens, picker, picker-upper

Definition for picked (2 of 4)

picked ²

[ pik-id, pikt ]

/ ˈpɪk ɪd, pɪkt /

adjective Chiefly Dialect.

having or coming to a sharp point; peaked; pointed.

Origin of picked

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at pick², -ed³

Definition for picked (3 of 4)

pick ¹

[ pik ]

/ pɪk /

verb (used with object)

to choose or select from among a group: to pick a contestant from the audience.

to seek and find occasion for; provoke: to pick a fight.

to attempt to find; seek out: to pick flaws in an argument.

to steal the contents of: Her pocket was picked yesterday.

to open (a lock) with a device other than the key, as a sharp instrument or wire, especially for the purpose of burglary.

to pierce, indent, dig into, or break up (something) with a pointed instrument: to pick rock; to pick ore.

to form (a hole) by such action: to pick a hole in asphalt.

to use a pointed instrument, the fingers, the teeth, the beak, etc., on (a thing), in order to remove or loosen something, as a small part or adhering matter: to pick one's teeth.

to prepare for use by removing a covering piece by piece, as feathers, hulls, or other parts: to pick a fowl.

to detach or remove piece by piece with the fingers: She picked the meat from the bones.

to pluck or gather one by one: to pick flowers.

(of birds or other animals) to take up (small bits of food) with the bill or teeth.

to eat daintily or in small morsels.

to separate, pull apart, or pull to pieces: to pick fibers.

Music.

to pluck (the strings of an instrument).
to play (a stringed instrument) by plucking with the fingers.

verb (used without object)

to strike with or use a pick or other pointed instrument on something.

(of birds or other animals) to take up small bits of food with the bill or teeth: The hens were busily picking about in their coop.

to select carefully or fastidiously.

to pilfer; steal.

to pluck or gather fruit, flowers, etc.

Basketball. to execute a pick.

noun

the act of choosing or selecting; choice; selection: to take one's pick.

a person or thing that is selected: He is our pick for president.

the choicest or most desirable part, example, or examples: This horse is the pick of the stable.

the right of selection: He gave me my pick of the litter.

the quantity of a crop picked, as from trees, bushes, etc., at a particular time: The pick was poor this season.

Printing.

a speck of dirt, hardened ink, or extra metal on set type or a plate.
a small area removed from the surface of a coated paper by ink that adheres to the form.

a stroke with something pointed: The rock shattered at the first pick of the ax.

Basketball. an offensive maneuver in which a player moves into a position between a defender and a teammate with the ball so as to prevent the defender from interfering with the shot. Compare pick-and-roll.

Verb Phrases

pick at,

to find fault with unnecessarily or persistently; nag.
to eat sparingly or daintily: As he was ill, he only picked at his food.
to grasp at; touch; handle: The baby loved to pick at her mother's glasses.

pick off,

to remove by pulling or plucking off.
to single out and shoot: The hunter picked off a duck rising from the marsh.
Baseball. to put out (a base runner) in a pick-off play.

pick on,

Informal. to criticize or blame; tease; harass.
to single out; choose: The professor always picks on me to translate long passages.

pick out,

to choose; designate: to pick out one's successor.
to distinguish from that which surrounds or accompanies; recognize: to pick out a well-known face in a crowd.
to discern (sense or meaning); discriminate.
to play (a melody) by ear; work out note by note.
to extract by picking.

pick over, to examine (an assortment of items) in order to make a selection: Eager shoppers were picking over the shirts on the bargain tables.

pick up,

to lift or take up: to pick up a stone.
to collect, especially in an orderly manner: Pick up the tools when you're finished.
to recover (one's courage, health, etc.); regain.
to gain by occasional opportunity; obtain casually: to pick up a livelihood.
to learn, as by experience: I've picked up a few Japanese phrases.
to claim: to pick up one's bags at an airport.
to take (a person or thing) into a car or ship, etc., or along with one.
to bring into range of reception, observation, etc.: to pick up Rome on one's radio.
to accelerate; gain (speed).
to put in good order; tidy: to pick up a room.
to make progress; improve: Business is beginning to pick up.
to catch or contract, as a disease.
Informal. to become acquainted with informally or casually, often in hope of a sexual relationship: Let's pick up some dates tonight.
to resume or continue after being left off: Let's pick up the discussion in our next meeting.
Informal. to take into custody; arrest: They picked him up for vagrancy.
Informal. to obtain; find; purchase: She picked up some nice shoes on sale.
Slang. to steal: to pick up jewels and silver.
to accept, as in order to pay: to pick up the check.

pick up on, Informal.

become aware or cognizant of; be perceptive about; notice: to pick up on the hostess's hostility.
to pay special attention to; keep an eye on: to pick up on a troubled student.

Origin of pick

1250–1300; v. Middle English pyken, pikken, pekken, cognate with Dutch pikken, German picken, Old Norse pikka to pick; akin to peck², pike⁵; (noun) derivative of the v.

SYNONYMS FOR pick

4 rob, pilfer.

12 reap, collect.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR pick ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for pick

1. See choose.

OTHER WORDS FROM pick

pick·a·ble, adjective un·pick·a·ble, adjective

Definition for picked (4 of 4)

pick ³

[ pik ]

/ pɪk /

Textiles.

verb (used with object)

to cast (a shuttle).

noun

(in a loom) one passage of the shuttle.

filling(def 5).

Origin of pick

variant of pitch¹

Example sentences from the Web for picked

He has picked pre-primary brawls with Christie, Perry, and Marco Rubio.

Rand Paul’s Passive-Aggressive Trolling Campaign |Olivia Nuzzi |January 6, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
So we picked out the song (“Rhiannon,” click here for video), and Deer Tick learned it.

Deer Tick's John McCauley on Ten Years in Rock and Roll |James Joiner |January 2, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
But Obamacare picked itself up and dusted itself off surprisingly well.

You Were Wrong About Miley & Bitcoin: 2014’s Failed Predictions |Nina Strochlic |December 31, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Not even Radio Bemba (Cuban slang for the rumor mill) had picked up the signal.

The Life and Hard Times Of The Family A Cuban Defector Left Behind |Brin-Jonathan Butler |December 19, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

He recalled for Koenig how scared Jay was the night he was picked up by cops—though not of the police, but of Adnan.

Adnan Killed Her! No, Jay Did It! Serial’s Uncertain, True-to-Reality End |Emily Shire |December 18, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
"I have picked some field tansies," she went on, with some animation.

The Rendezvous |Ivan Turgenev
She spied the sword, picked it up, and seeing the blood, let it fall again with her hands thrown wide.

The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition, Vol. XII (of 25) |Robert Louis Stevenson
“I picked up a rummy curio on the beach this go,” said the captain.

The Plattner Story and Others |H. G. Wells
He wriggled out of my hands and picked up his cap from the table.

Sonia Between two Worlds |Stephen McKenna
Sweat poured from his forehead, and the suit ventilator whined as it picked up the extra moisture.

Rip Foster in Ride the Gray Planet |Harold Leland Goodwin

British Dictionary definitions for picked (1 of 3)

pick ¹

/ (pɪk) /

verb

to choose (something) deliberately or carefully, from or as if from a group or number; select

to pluck or gather (fruit, berries, or crops) from (a tree, bush, field, etc) to pick hops; to pick a whole bush

(tr) to clean or prepare (fruit, poultry, etc) by removing the indigestible parts

(tr) to remove loose particles from (the teeth, the nose, etc)

(esp of birds) to nibble or gather (corn, etc)

(when intr, foll by at) to nibble (at) fussily or without appetite

to separate (strands, fibres, etc), as in weaving

(tr) to provoke (an argument, fight, etc) deliberately

(tr) to steal (money or valuables) from (a person's pocket)

(tr) to open (a lock) with an instrument other than a key

to pluck the strings of (a guitar, banjo, etc)

(tr) to make (one's way) carefully on foot they picked their way through the rubble

pick and choose to select fastidiously, fussily, etc

pick someone's brains to obtain information or ideas from someone

noun

freedom or right of selection (esp in the phrase take one's pick)

a person, thing, etc, that is chosen first or preferred the pick of the bunch

the act of picking

the amount of a crop picked at one period or from one area

printing a speck of dirt or paper fibre or a blob of ink on the surface of set type or a printing plate

See also pick at, pick off, pick on, pick out, pick-up

Derived forms of pick

pickable, adjective

Word Origin for pick

C15: from earlier piken to pick, influenced by French piquer to pierce; compare Middle Low German picken, Dutch pikken

British Dictionary definitions for picked (2 of 3)

pick ²

/ (pɪk) /

noun

a tool with a handle carrying a long steel head curved and tapering to a point at one or both ends, used for loosening soil, breaking rocks, etc

any of various tools used for picking, such as an ice pick or toothpick

a plectrum

verb

(tr) to pierce, dig, or break up (a hard surface) with a pick

(tr) to form (a hole) in this way

Word Origin for pick

C14: perhaps variant of pike ²

British Dictionary definitions for picked (3 of 3)

pick ³

/ (in weaving pɪk) /

verb

(tr) to cast (a shuttle)

noun

one casting of a shuttle

a weft or filling thread

Word Origin for pick

C14: variant of pitch 1

Idioms and Phrases with picked

pick

In addition to the idioms beginning with pick

pick a bone with
pick and choose
pick apart
pick a quarrel
pick at
picked over
pick holes in
pick off
pick of the litter
pick on
pick one's way
pick out
pick over
pick someone's brain
pick to pieces
pick up
pick up on
pick up the pieces

also see:

bone to pick
slim pickings

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

picked

adjective

Origin of picked

Words nearby picked

Definition for picked (2 of 4)

adjective Chiefly Dialect.

Origin of picked

Definition for picked (3 of 4)

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Verb Phrases

Origin of pick

SYNONYMS FOR pick

synonym study for pick

OTHER WORDS FROM pick

Definition for picked (4 of 4)

verb (used with object)

noun

Origin of pick

Example sentences from the Web for picked

British Dictionary definitions for picked (1 of 3)

verb

noun

Derived forms of pick

Word Origin for pick

British Dictionary definitions for picked (2 of 3)

noun

verb

Word Origin for pick

British Dictionary definitions for picked (3 of 3)

verb

noun

Word Origin for pick

Idioms and Phrases with picked

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

picked

adjective

Origin of picked

Words nearby picked

Definition for picked (2 of 4)

adjective Chiefly Dialect.

Origin of picked

Definition for picked (3 of 4)

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Verb Phrases

Origin of pick

SYNONYMS FOR pick

synonym study for pick

OTHER WORDS FROM pick

Definition for picked (4 of 4)

verb (used with object)

noun

Origin of pick

Words related to picked

Example sentences from the Web for picked

British Dictionary definitions for picked (1 of 3)

verb

noun

Derived forms of pick

Word Origin for pick

British Dictionary definitions for picked (2 of 3)

noun

verb

Word Origin for pick

British Dictionary definitions for picked (3 of 3)

verb

noun

Word Origin for pick

Idioms and Phrases with picked