n. An instrument for removing wax from the ear. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. carefully selected; as, a hand-picked jury; the company's president groomed his hand-picked successor. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. [ G. ] (Min.) Arsenical iron pyrites; arsenopyrite. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Picked p. pr. & vb. n. Picking. ] [ OE. picken, pikken, to prick, peck; akin to Icel. pikka, Sw. picka, Dan. pikke, D. pikken, G. picken, F. piquer, W. pigo. Cf. Peck, v., Pike, Pitch to throw. ] 1. To throw; to pitch. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

As high as I could pick my lance. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To separate or open by means of a sharp point or points; as, to pick matted wool, cotton, oakum, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To open (a lock) as by a wire. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Did you pick Master Slender's purse? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

He picks clean teeth, and, busy as he seems
With an old tavern quill, is hungry yet. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

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.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. To trim. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To eat slowly, sparingly, or by morsels; to nibble. [ 1913 Webster ]

Why stand'st thou picking? Is thy palate sore? Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To do anything nicely or carefully, or by attending to small things; to select something with care. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To steal; to pilfer. “To keep my hands from picking and stealing.” Book of Com. Prayer. [ 1913 Webster ]

To pick up, to improve by degrees; as, he is picking up in health or business. [ Colloq. U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. pic a pickax, a pick. See Pick, and cf. Pike. ] 1. A sharp-pointed tool for picking; -- often used in composition; as, a toothpick; a picklock. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Mining & Mech.) A heavy iron tool, curved and sometimes pointed at both ends, wielded by means of a wooden handle inserted in the middle, -- used for digging ino the ground by quarrymen, roadmakers, etc.; also, a pointed hammer used for dressing millstones. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A pike or spike; the sharp point fixed in the center of a buckler. [ Obs. ] “Take down my buckler . . . and grind the pick on 't.” Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Choice; right of selection; as, to have one's pick; in cat breeding, the owner of a stud gets the pick of the litter. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

France and Russia have the pick of our stables. Ld. Lytton. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Hence: That which would be picked or chosen first; the best; as, the pick of the flock. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Print.) A particle of ink or paper imbedded in the hollow of a letter, filling up its face, and occasioning a spot on a printed sheet. MacKellar. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Painting) That which is picked in, as with a pointed pencil, to correct an unevenness in a picture. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. (Weaving) The blow which drives the shuttle, -- the rate of speed of a loom being reckoned as so many picks per minute; hence, in describing the fineness of a fabric, a weft thread; as, so many picks to an inch. [ 1913 Webster ]

Pick dressing (Arch.), in cut stonework, a facing made by a pointed tool, leaving the surface in little pits or depressions. --
Pick hammer, a pick with one end sharp and the other blunt, used by miners. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. On the back or shoulders; as, to ride pickback. [ Written also pickapack, pickback, and pickpack. ] Syn. -- piggyback. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

A woman stooping to take a child pickaback. R, Jefferies. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Pickaninnies [ Cf. Sp. pequeño little, young. ] A small child; especially, a negro or mulatto infant. Now (2001) used primarily in the latter sense, and in that sense often considered derogatory. [ U.S. & West Indies ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Pickaback. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ A corruption of OE. pikois, pikeis, F. picois, fr. pic. See Pick, n. ] A pick with a point at one end, a transverse edge or blade at the other, and a handle inserted at the middle; a hammer with a flattened end for driving wedges and a pointed end for piercing as it strikes. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. On the back. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Pointed; sharp. “Picked and polished.” Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

Let the stake be made picked at the top. Mortimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) Having a pike or spine on the back; -- said of certain fishes. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Carefully selected; chosen; as, picked men. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Fine; spruce; smart; precise; dianty. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Picked dogfish. (Zool.) See under Dogfish. --
Picked out, ornamented or relieved with lines, or the like, of a different, usually a lighter, color; as, a carriage body dark green, picked out with red. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The state of being sharpened; pointedness. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fineness; spruceness; smartness. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Too much pickedness is not manly. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Pickeered p. pr. & vb. n. Pickeering. ] [ F. picorer to go marauding, orig., to go to steal cattle, ultimately fr. L. pecus, pecoris, cattle; cf. F. picorée, Sp. pecorea robbery committed by straggling soldiers. ] To make a raid for booty; to maraud; also, to skirmish in advance of an army. See Picaroon. [ Obs. ] Bp. Burnet. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who pickeers. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Pick. ] 1. One who, or that which, picks, in any sense, -- as, one who uses a pick; one who gathers; a thief; a pick; a pickax; as, a cotton picker. “Pickers and stealers.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Mach.) A machine for picking fibrous materials to pieces so as to loosen and separate the fiber. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Weaving) The piece in a loom which strikes the end of the shuttle, and impels it through the warp. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Ordnance) A priming wire for cleaning the vent. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Dim. of Pike. ] [ Written also pickerell. ] 1. A young or small pike. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Bet [ better ] is, quoth he, a pike than a pickerel. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) (a) Any one of several species of freshwater fishes of the genus Esox, esp. the smaller species. (b) The glasseye, or wall-eyed pike. See Wall-eye. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The federation, or chain, pickerel (Esox reticulatus) and the brook pickerel (Esox Americanus) are the most common American species. They are used for food, and are noted for their voracity. About the Great Lakes the pike is called pickerel. [ 1913 Webster ]

Pickerel weed (Bot.), a blue-flowered aquatic plant (Pontederia cordata) having large arrow-shaped leaves. So called because common in slow-moving waters where pickerel are often found. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Probably a corruption of Pickerel. ] (Zool.) The sauger of the St.Lawrence River. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Pick to steal; or perhaps from Pickeer. ] Petty theft. [ Scot. ] Holinshed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. piquet, properly dim. of pique spear, pike. See Pike, and cf. Piquet. ] 1. A stake sharpened or pointed, especially one used in fortification and encampments, to mark bounds and angles; or one used for tethering horses. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A pointed pale, used in marking fences. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. [ Probably so called from the picketing of the horses. ] (Mil.) A detached body of troops serving to guard an army from surprise, and to oppose reconnoitering parties of the enemy; -- called also outlying picket. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. By extension, men appointed by a trades union, or other labor organization, to intercept outsiders, and prevent them from working for employers with whom the organization is at variance. [ Cant ] [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A military punishment, formerly resorted to, in which the offender was forced to stand with one foot on a pointed stake. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A game at cards. See Piquet. [ 1913 Webster ]

Inlying picket (Mil.), a detachment of troops held in camp or quarters, detailed to march if called upon. --
Picket fence, a fence made of pickets. See def. 2, above. --
Picket guard (Mil.), a guard of horse and foot, always in readiness in case of alarm. --
Picket line. (Mil.) (a) A position held and guarded by small bodies of men placed at intervals. (b) A rope to which horses are secured when groomed. --
Picketpin, an iron pin for picketing horses. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Picketed; p. pr. & vb. n. Picketing. ] 1. To fortify with pointed stakes. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To inclose or fence with pickets or pales. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To tether to, or as to, a picket; as, to picket a horse. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To guard, as a camp or road, by an outlying picket. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To torture by compelling to stand with one foot on a pointed stake. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) See Picotee. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who seeks out faults. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act of digging or breaking up, as with a pick. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The act of choosing, plucking, or gathering. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That which is, or may be, picked or gleaned. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Pilfering; also, that which is pilfered. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. pl. The pulverized shells of oysters used in making walks. [ Eng. ] Simmonds. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Mining) Rough sorting of ore. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Overburned bricks. Simmonds. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Done or made as with a pointed tool; as, a picking sound. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Nice; careful. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

was too warm on picking work to dwell. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Picking peg. (Weaving) See Picker, n., 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Obs. ] See Picle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. D. pekel. Probably a dim. fr. Pick, v. t., alluding to the cleaning of the fish. ] 1. (a) A solution of salt and water, in which fish, meat, etc., may be preserved or corned; brine. (b) Vinegar, plain or spiced, used for preserving vegetables, fish, eggs, oysters, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any article of food which has been preserved in brine or in vinegar. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Founding) A bath of dilute sulphuric or nitric acid, etc., to remove burnt sand, scale rust, etc., from the surface of castings, or other articles of metal, or to brighten them or improve their color. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A troublesome child; as, a little pickle. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

To be in a pickle, to be in disagreeable position; to be in a condition of embarrassment, difficulty, or disorder. “How cam'st thou in this pickle?” Shak. --
To put a rod in pickle, to prepare a particular reproof, punishment, or penalty for future application. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Pickled p. pr. & vb. n. Pickling ] 1. To preserve or season in pickle; to treat with some kind of pickle; as, to pickle herrings or cucumbers. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To give an antique appearance to; -- said of copies or imitations of paintings by the old masters. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Preserved in a pickle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A herring preserved in brine; a pickled herring. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A merry-andrew; a buffoon. [ Obs. ] Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who makes pickles. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. An instrument for picking locks. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who picks locks; a thief. “A picklock of secrets.” Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A stimulant, restorative, or tonic; a bracer. [ Colloq. ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ So called from its picking its food from the mire. ] (Zool.) The pewit, or black-headed gull. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Picnic. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Baseball) a play in which a base runner is picked off. See pick off. [ PJC ]

v. t. 1. (Baseball) to put out a baserunner who is off base by tagging him/her, especially by a quick throw from the pitcher or catcher. [ PJC ]

2. to shoot so as to kill or disable, especially one by one from a position or in a situation where the target is unable to return fire at the shooter; -- used commonly of sniper fire. “The sniper picked off a dozen passersby from the tower before he was shot down by police.” [ PJC ]

3. (Football) to intercept (a pass). [ PJC ]

adv. Pickaback. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Pickpennies A miser; also, a sharper. Dr. H. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who steals purses or other articles from pockets. Bentley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who steals purses, or money from purses. Latimer. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Pixy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who strives to put another under obligation; an officious person; hence, a flatterer. Used also adjectively. [ 1913 Webster ]

Smiling pickthanks, and base newsmongers. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A toothpick. [ Obs. ] Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ or }, n. [ Colloq., Cant, or Slang ] 1. Act of picking up, as, in various games, the fielding or hitting of a ball just after it strikes the ground. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. That which picks up; specif.: (Elec.) same as Brush b. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

3. One that is picked up, as a meal hastily got up for the occasion, a chance acquaintance, an informal game, etc. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

4. a social companion for the evening who is met without prior arrangement, as at a singles bar; also, the act of joining with such a companion in that fashion. [ PJC ]

5. (Automobiles) acceleration; a measure of the ability of a vehicle to accelerate. [ PJC ]

6. (Electronics) a component of a phonograph which contains the stylus and also components for converting the vibrations of the stylus into electrical impulses for subsequent processing into sound; often referred to as a cartridge; also, the process of converting vibrations into electrical impulses. [ PJC ]

7. (Electronics) the conversion of sound or light into electrical signals in a sound or image recording or transmitting device. [ PJC ]

8. (Vehicles) a small truck having an enclosed driver's compartment (cab) but an open rear with usually low sides and a tailgate. Also called pickup truck. [ PJC ]

9. a hitchhiker who has been picked up. [ PJC ]

n. One who gets a living by picking up rags and refuse things in the streets. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Sw. spik. See Spike a nail. ] A spike or nail. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Spick and span, quite new; that is, as new as a spike or nail just made and a chip just split; brand-new; as, a spick and span novelty. See Span-new. Howell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Contr. from spike nail a large, long nail; -- so called in allusion to the shape of its capillary leaves. ] (Bot.) An umbelliferous herb (Meum Athamanticum) having finely divided leaves, common in Europe; -- called also baldmoney, mew, and bearwort. [ Written also spignel. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A pointed instrument for clearing the teeth of substances lodged between them. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A toothpick. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]