Pick v. t. [imp. & p. p. Picked p. pr. & vb. n. Picking.]
 1. To throw; to pitch. [Obs.]
    As high as I could pick my lance.   --Shak.
 2. To peck at, as a bird with its beak; to strike at with anything pointed; to act upon with a pointed instrument; to pierce; to prick, as with a pin.
 3. To separate or open by means of a sharp point or points; as, to pick matted wool, cotton, oakum, etc.
 4. To open (a lock) as by a wire.
 5. To pull apart or away, especially with the fingers; to pluck; to gather, as fruit from a tree, flowers from the stalk, feathers from a fowl, etc.
 6. To remove something from with a pointed instrument, with the fingers, or with the teeth; as, to pick the teeth; to pick a bone; to pick a goose; to pick a pocket.
    Did you pick Master Slender's purse?   --Shak.
 He picks clean teeth, and, busy as he seems
 With an old tavern quill, is hungry yet.   --Cowper.
 7. To choose; to select; to separate as choice or desirable; to cull; as, to pick one's company; to pick one's way; -- often with out. “One man picked out of ten thousand.”
 8. To take up; esp., to gather from here and there; to collect; to bring together; as, to pick rags; -- often with up; as, to pick up a ball or stones; to pick up information.
 9. To trim. [Obs.]
 To pick at, to tease or vex by pertinacious annoyance.
 To pick a bone with. See under Bone.
 To pick a thank, to curry favor. [Obs.] --Robynson (More's Utopia).
 To pick off. (a) To pluck; to remove by picking. (b) To shoot or bring down, one by one; as, sharpshooters pick off the enemy.
 To pick out. (a) To mark out; to variegate; as, to pick out any dark stuff with lines or spots of bright colors. (b) To select from a number or quantity.
 To pick to pieces, to pull apart piece by piece; hence [Colloq.], to analyze; esp., to criticize in detail.
 To pick a quarrel, to give occasion of quarrel intentionally.
 To pick up. (a) To take up, as with the fingers. (b) To get by repeated efforts; to gather here and there; as, to pick up a livelihood; to pick up news.


 Pick v. i.
 1. To eat slowly, sparingly, or by morsels; to nibble.
    Why stand'st thou picking? Is thy palate sore?   --Dryden.
 2. To do anything nicely or carefully, or by attending to small things; to select something with care.
 3. To steal; to pilfer. “To keep my hands from picking and stealing.”
 To pick up, to improve by degrees; as, he is picking up in health or business. [Colloq. U.S.]