<p><strong>Verb</strong></p><ul><li>to choose or select from among a group: to pick a contestant from the audience.</li><li>to seek and find occasion for; provoke: to pick a fight.</li><li>to attempt to find; seek out: to pick flaws in an argument.</li><li>to steal the contents of: Her pocket was picked yesterday.</li><li>to open (a lock) with a device other than the key, as a sharp instrument or wire, especially for the purpose of burglary.</li><li>to pierce, indent, dig into, or break up (something) with a pointed instrument: to pick rock; to pick ore.</li><li>to form (a hole) by such action: to pick a hole in asphalt.</li><li>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.</li><li>to prepare for use by removing a covering piece by piece, as feathers, hulls, or other parts: to pick a fowl.</li><li>to detach or remove piece by piece with the fingers: She picked the meat from the bones.</li><li>to pluck or gather one by one: to pick flowers.</li><li>(of birds or other animals) to take up (small bits of food) with the bill or teeth.</li><li>to separate, pull apart, or pull to pieces: to pick fibers.</li><li>to pluck (the strings of an instrument).</li><li>to play (a stringed instrument) by plucking with the fingers.</li></ul><p><strong>Noun</strong></p><ul><li>the act of choosing or selecting; choice; selection: to take one's pick.</li><li>a person or thing that is selected: He is our pick for president.</li><li>the choicest or most desirable part, example, or examples: This horse is the pick of the stable.</li><li>the right of selection: He gave me my pick of the litter.</li><li>the quantity of a crop picked, as from trees, bushes, etc., at a particular time: The pick was poor this season.</li><li>a stroke with something pointed: The rock shattered at the first pick of the ax.</li><li>an offensive maneuver in basketball where 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.</li></ul><p><strong>Verb Phrase</strong></p><ul><li>to criticize or blame; tease; harass.</li><li>to single out; choose: The professor always picks on me to translate long passages.</li><li>to become aware or cognizant of; be perceptive about; notice: to pick up on the hostess's hostility.</li><li>to pay special attention to; keep an eye on: to pick up on a troubled student.</li><li>to choose; designate: to pick out one's successor.</li><li>to distinguish from that which surrounds or accompanies; recognize: to pick out a well-known face in a crowd.</li><li>to discern (sense or meaning); discriminate.</li><li>to play (a melody) by ear; work out note by note.</li><li>to extract by picking.</li><li>to examine (an assortment of items) in order to make a selection: Eager shoppers were picking over the shirts on the bargain tables.</li><li>to lift or take up: to pick up a stone.</li><li>to collect, especially in an orderly manner: Pick up the tools when you're finished.</li><li>to recover (one's courage, health, etc.); regain.</li><li>to gain by occasional opportunity; obtain casually: to pick up a livelihood.</li><li>to learn, as by experience: I've picked up a few Japanese phrases.</li><li>to claim: to pick up one's bags at an airport.</li><li>to take (a person or thing) into a car or ship, etc., or along with one.</li><li>to bring into range of reception, observation, etc.: to pick up Rome on one's radio.</li><li>to accelerate; gain (speed).</li><li>to put in good order; tidy: to pick up a room.</li><li>to make progress; improve: Business is beginning to pick up.</li><li>to catch or contract, as a disease.</li><li>to become acquainted with informally or casually, often in hope of a sexual relationship: Let's pick up some dates tonight.</li><li>to resume or continue after being left off: Let's pick up the discussion in our next meeting.</li><li>to take into custody; arrest: They picked him up for vagrancy.</li><li>to obtain; find; purchase: She picked up some nice shoes on sale.</li><li>to steal: to pick up jewels and silver.</li><li>to accept, as in order to pay: to pick up the check.</li><li>to remove by pulling or plucking off.</li><li>to single out and shoot: The hunter picked off a duck rising from the marsh.</li><li>to put out (a base runner) in a pick-off play.</li><li>to find fault with unnecessarily or persistently; nag.</li><li>to eat sparingly or daintily: As he was ill, he only picked at his food.</li><li>to grasp at; touch; handle: The baby loved to pick at her mother's glasses.</li></ul>