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Consult Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, The Chambers Thesaurus (1996) or Chambers Biographical Dictionary (1997 edition with amendments). Enter your search and choose your title from the drop-down menu.
pick1 verb (picked, picking) 1 tr & intr to choose or select. 2 to detach and gather (flowers from a plant, fruit from a tree, etc). 3 to open (a lock) with a device other than a key, often to gain unauthorized entry. 4 to get, take or extract whatever is of use or value from something • pick a bone clean • pick someone's brains. 5 to steal money or valuables from (someone's pocket). See also pickpocket. 6 to undo; to unpick • pick a dress to pieces. 7 to make (a hole) by unpicking. 8 to remove pieces of matter from (one's nose, teeth, a scab, etc) with one's fingernails, etc. 9 to provoke (a fight, quarrel, etc) with someone. noun 1 the best of a group • the pick of the bunch. 2 one's own preferred selection. have or take one's pick to keep selecting and rejecting until one is satisfied. pick and choose to be over-fussy in one's choice. pick holes in something to find fault with it. pick one's way to go carefully so as to avoid hazards • picked her way through the jungle. pick someone's brains to ask someone for information, ideas, etc, and then use it as your own. pick someone or something to pieces to criticize them or it severely. pick someone up on something to point out their error. pick up the pieces to have to restore things to normality or make things better after some trouble or disaster. pick up speed to increase speed or acelerate gradually.
ETYMOLOGY: 15c.
pick at something 1 to eat only small quantities of (one's food). 2 to keep pulling at (a scab, etc) with one's fingernails. pick people or things off 1 to shoot them • picked the snipers off one by one. 2 to deal with (opposition) bit by bit. pick on someone 1 to blame them unfairly. 2 to bully them. 3 to choose them for an unpleasant job. pick on something to choose it; to light on it. pick oneself up to restore oneself to an upright position after a fall. pick someone out 1 to select them from a group. 2 to recognize or distinguish them among a group or crowd. pick something out 1 to play (a tune) uncertainly, especially by ear. 2 to mark it so as to distinguish it from its surroundings • beige walls with the picture rail picked out in brown. pick something over to examine (a collection of things) one by one and reject whatever is unwanted. pick up said of a person, a person's health, or a situation: to recover or improve • She picked up after seeing you. • Sales have picked up now. pick up or pick something up to resume • pick up where one left off • pick up the threads of a relationship • pick up the trail. pick someone up 1 to arrest or seize them • was picked up by the police. 2 to go and fetch them from where they are waiting • I'll pick you up at the station at 6pm. 3 to stop one's vehicle for them and give them a lift • picked up a hitchhiker. 4 colloq to approach them and successfully invite them, eg to go home with one, especially with a view to sexual relations. See also pick-up. pick something up 1 to lift or raise it from a surface, from the ground, etc. 2 to learn or acquire (a habit, skill, language, etc) over a time. 3 to notice or become aware of it • picked up a faint odour. 4 to obtain or acquire it casually, by chance, etc • pick up a bargain • pick up an infection. 5 to go and fetch (something waiting to be collected). 6 telecomm to receive (a signal, programme, etc). 7 to refer back in conversation or discourse to (a point previously made), in order to deal with it further. 8 colloq to agree to pay (a bill, etc) • pick up the tab. pick something up, off, out, etc to lift, remove, detach or extract it • picked a crumb off the carpet. |
pick1 verb (picked, picking) 1 tr & intr to choose or select. 2 to detach and gather (flowers from a plant, fruit from a tree, etc). 3 to open (a lock) with a device other than a key, often to gain unauthorized entry. 4 to get, take or extract whatever is of use or value from something • pick a bone clean • pick someone's brains. 5 to steal money or valuables from (someone's pocket). See also pickpocket. 6 to undo; to unpick • pick a dress to pieces. 7 to make (a hole) by unpicking. 8 to remove pieces of matter from (one's nose, teeth, a scab, etc) with one's fingernails, etc. 9 to provoke (a fight, quarrel, etc) with someone. noun 1 the best of a group • the pick of the bunch. 2 one's own preferred selection. have or take one's pick to keep selecting and rejecting until one is satisfied. pick and choose to be over-fussy in one's choice. pick holes in something to find fault with it. pick one's way to go carefully so as to avoid hazards • picked her way through the jungle. pick someone's brains to ask someone for information, ideas, etc, and then use it as your own. pick someone or something to pieces to criticize them or it severely. pick someone up on something to point out their error. pick up the pieces to have to restore things to normality or make things better after some trouble or disaster. pick up speed to increase speed or acelerate gradually.
ETYMOLOGY: 15c.
pick at something 1 to eat only small quantities of (one's food). 2 to keep pulling at (a scab, etc) with one's fingernails. pick people or things off 1 to shoot them • picked the snipers off one by one. 2 to deal with (opposition) bit by bit. pick on someone 1 to blame them unfairly. 2 to bully them. 3 to choose them for an unpleasant job. pick on something to choose it; to light on it. pick oneself up to restore oneself to an upright position after a fall. pick someone out 1 to select them from a group. 2 to recognize or distinguish them among a group or crowd. pick something out 1 to play (a tune) uncertainly, especially by ear. 2 to mark it so as to distinguish it from its surroundings • beige walls with the picture rail picked out in brown. pick something over to examine (a collection of things) one by one and reject whatever is unwanted. pick up said of a person, a person's health, or a situation: to recover or improve • She picked up after seeing you. • Sales have picked up now. pick up or pick something up to resume • pick up where one left off • pick up the threads of a relationship • pick up the trail. pick someone up 1 to arrest or seize them • was picked up by the police. 2 to go and fetch them from where they are waiting • I'll pick you up at the station at 6pm. 3 to stop one's vehicle for them and give them a lift • picked up a hitchhiker. 4 colloq to approach them and successfully invite them, eg to go home with one, especially with a view to sexual relations. See also pick-up. pick something up 1 to lift or raise it from a surface, from the ground, etc. 2 to learn or acquire (a habit, skill, language, etc) over a time. 3 to notice or become aware of it • picked up a faint odour. 4 to obtain or acquire it casually, by chance, etc • pick up a bargain • pick up an infection. 5 to go and fetch (something waiting to be collected). 6 telecomm to receive (a signal, programme, etc). 7 to refer back in conversation or discourse to (a point previously made), in order to deal with it further. 8 colloq to agree to pay (a bill, etc) • pick up the tab. pick something up, off, out, etc to lift, remove, detach or extract it • picked a crumb off the carpet. |
pick1 verb (picked, picking) 1 tr & intr to choose or select. 2 to detach and gather (flowers from a plant, fruit from a tree, etc). 3 to open (a lock) with a device other than a key, often to gain unauthorized entry. 4 to get, take or extract whatever is of use or value from something • pick a bone clean • pick someone's brains. 5 to steal money or valuables from (someone's pocket). See also pickpocket. 6 to undo; to unpick • pick a dress to pieces. 7 to make (a hole) by unpicking. 8 to remove pieces of matter from (one's nose, teeth, a scab, etc) with one's fingernails, etc. 9 to provoke (a fight, quarrel, etc) with someone. noun 1 the best of a group • the pick of the bunch. 2 one's own preferred selection. have or take one's pick to keep selecting and rejecting until one is satisfied. pick and choose to be over-fussy in one's choice. pick holes in something to find fault with it. pick one's way to go carefully so as to avoid hazards • picked her way through the jungle. pick someone's brains to ask someone for information, ideas, etc, and then use it as your own. pick someone or something to pieces to criticize them or it severely. pick someone up on something to point out their error. pick up the pieces to have to restore things to normality or make things better after some trouble or disaster. pick up speed to increase speed or acelerate gradually.
ETYMOLOGY: 15c.
pick at something 1 to eat only small quantities of (one's food). 2 to keep pulling at (a scab, etc) with one's fingernails. pick people or things off 1 to shoot them • picked the snipers off one by one. 2 to deal with (opposition) bit by bit. pick on someone 1 to blame them unfairly. 2 to bully them. 3 to choose them for an unpleasant job. pick on something to choose it; to light on it. pick oneself up to restore oneself to an upright position after a fall. pick someone out 1 to select them from a group. 2 to recognize or distinguish them among a group or crowd. pick something out 1 to play (a tune) uncertainly, especially by ear. 2 to mark it so as to distinguish it from its surroundings • beige walls with the picture rail picked out in brown. pick something over to examine (a collection of things) one by one and reject whatever is unwanted. pick up said of a person, a person's health, or a situation: to recover or improve • She picked up after seeing you. • Sales have picked up now. pick up or pick something up to resume • pick up where one left off • pick up the threads of a relationship • pick up the trail. pick someone up 1 to arrest or seize them • was picked up by the police. 2 to go and fetch them from where they are waiting • I'll pick you up at the station at 6pm. 3 to stop one's vehicle for them and give them a lift • picked up a hitchhiker. 4 colloq to approach them and successfully invite them, eg to go home with one, especially with a view to sexual relations. See also pick-up. pick something up 1 to lift or raise it from a surface, from the ground, etc. 2 to learn or acquire (a habit, skill, language, etc) over a time. 3 to notice or become aware of it • picked up a faint odour. 4 to obtain or acquire it casually, by chance, etc • pick up a bargain • pick up an infection. 5 to go and fetch (something waiting to be collected). 6 telecomm to receive (a signal, programme, etc). 7 to refer back in conversation or discourse to (a point previously made), in order to deal with it further. 8 colloq to agree to pay (a bill, etc) • pick up the tab. pick something up, off, out, etc to lift, remove, detach or extract it • picked a crumb off the carpet. |
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The Chambers Dictionary (13th edition)
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The unrivalled dictionary for word lovers, now in its 13th edition.
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The Chambers Thesaurus
The Chambers Thesaurus (4th Edition) is a veritable treasure-trove, including the greatest selection of alternative words and phrases available in an A to Z format. -
Chambers Biographical Dictionary
“Simply all you need to know about anyone” – Fay Weldon.
Thoroughly revised and updated for its 9th edition.
Consult Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, The Chambers Thesaurus (1996) or Chambers Biographical Dictionary (1997 edition with amendments). Enter your search and choose your title from the drop-down menu.
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