pick

select carefully from a group

• “She finally picked her successor”
• “He picked his way carefully”

look for and gather

• “pick mushrooms”
• “pick flowers”

harass with constant criticism

• “Don”

provoke

• “pick a fight or a quarrel”

remove in small bits

• “pick meat from a bone”

remove unwanted substances from, such as feathers or pits

• “Clean the turkey”

pilfer or rob

• “pick pockets”

pay for something

• “pick up the tab”
• “pick up the burden of high-interest mortgages”
• “foot the bill”

pull lightly but sharply with a plucking motion

• “he plucked the strings of his mandolin”

attack with or as if with a pickaxe of ice or rocky ground, for example

• “Pick open the ice”

hit lightly with a picking motion

eat intermittently; take small bites of

• “He pieced at the sandwich all morning”
• “She never eats a full meal--she just nibbles”

the person or thing chosen or selected

• “he was my pick for mayor”

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”

the best people or things in a group

• “the cream of England”

the yarn woven across the warp yarn in weaving

a small thin device (of metal or plastic or ivory) used to pluck a stringed instrument

a thin sharp implement used for picking

• “he used a pick to clean dirt out of the cracks”

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”

a basketball maneuver; obstructing an opponent with one''s body

• “he was called for setting an illegal pick”

the act of choosing or selecting

• “your choice of colors was unfortunate”
• “you can take your pick”