The meaning of Pick

verb

Legally take (another's child) and bring it up as one's own.

Usage examples:

There are many people eager to adopt a baby

verb

To take another person’s child legally into your own family to raise as your own child

Usage examples:

[ t ] they adopted raphael last september., the new law means companies will adopt energy-saving me…

verb

To start to use a new method, system, law, etc.

Usage examples:

Many european businesses are now adopting a management style closer to that of the us., adopt an ap…

verb

Allocate (a job or duty).

Usage examples:

Congress had assigned the task to the agency

noun

Another term for assignee (sense 1).

Usage examples:

This agreement shall be binding upon the parties and their successors and assigns

noun

An act of choosing between two or more possibilities.

Usage examples:

The choice between good and evil

adjective

(especially of food) of very good quality.

Usage examples:

He picked some choice early plums

noun

An act of choosing; a decision

Usage examples:

[ c ] a difficult/easy choice, [ c ] when you’re trying to cut the budget deficit, you’ve got to ma…

verb

Pick out (someone or something) as being the best or most appropriate of two or more alternatives.

Usage examples:

He chose a seat facing the door

verb

Bring or gather together (a number of things).

Usage examples:

He went round the office collecting old coffee cups

adjective

(of a phone call) paid for by the person receiving it.

Usage examples:

A collect call

adverb

(with reference to making a phone call) in a way that is paid for by the person receiving it.

Usage examples:

I called my mother collect

noun

A cultivated plant that is grown on a large scale commercially, especially a cereal, fruit, or vegetable.

Usage examples:

The main crops were oats and barley

verb

Cut (something, especially a person's hair) very short.

Usage examples:

She cropped her long golden hair

verb

Short for riding crop or hunting crop.

verb

Reduce the population of (a wild animal) by selective slaughter.

Usage examples:

He sees culling deer as a necessity

noun

A selective slaughter of animals.

Usage examples:

Fishermen are to campaign for a seal cull

verb

To collect parts or pieces of something to use for another purpose

Usage examples:

She went to strange lands to cull recipes for her book., to cull growing herds before they run out …

noun

A conclusion or resolution reached after consideration.

Usage examples:

I'll make the decision on my own

noun

Something you choose; a choice

Usage examples:

The board will make its decision shortly., [ + to infinitive ] their decision not to attend the par…

verb

Appoint (someone) to a specified office or post.

Usage examples:

He was designated as prime minister

adjective

Appointed to an office or post but not yet installed.

Usage examples:

The director designate

verb

To choose someone or something for a special job or purpose, or to state that something has a particular character or purpose

Usage examples:

The chairman designated his daughter as his successor., north-south streets are designated by numbe…

verb

Break up and move earth with a tool or machine, or with hands, paws, snout, etc.

Usage examples:

The boar had been digging for roots

noun

An act or spell of digging.

Usage examples:

A thorough dig of the whole plot

verb

Turn up, loosen, or remove earth

verb

Choose (someone) to hold public office or some other position by voting.

Usage examples:

He was elected as councillor

adjective

(of a person) chosen or singled out.

Usage examples:

Suddenly the student becomes convinced that he is among the elect, the wise, the few who are privy …

plural noun

People who are chosen or singled out.

Usage examples:

One of the century's elect

noun

Approval, support, or liking for someone or something.

Usage examples:

Training is looked upon with favour by many employers

verb

Feel or show approval or preference for.

Usage examples:

Slashing public spending is a policy that few politicians favour

noun

The support or approval of something or someone

Usage examples:

Find favour these plans are unlikely to find favour unless the cost is reduced., in favour of the c…

adjective

Preferred to all others of the same kind.

Usage examples:

Their favourite italian restaurant

noun

A person or thing that is preferred to all others of the same kind or is especially well liked.

Usage examples:

My favourite is tandoori chicken

verb

Record the address of (a website or other data) to enable quick access in future.

Usage examples:

You can see who else favourited the same pictures

noun

Each of the four slender jointed parts attached to either hand (or five, if the thumb is included).

Usage examples:

She raked her hair back with her fingers

verb

Touch or feel with the fingers.

Usage examples:

The thin man fingered his moustache

verb

Any of the terminal members of the hand

verb

Gather or collect (something, especially information or approval).

Usage examples:

The police struggled to garner sufficient evidence

noun

A granary.

Usage examples:

The upper floor also contains garners for storing unmalted and malted grain.

verb

To get or earn something valuable or respected, often with difficulty

Usage examples:

Coppola garnered several oscars for his movie, "the godfather."

verb

Obtain (information) from various sources, often with difficulty.

Usage examples:

The information is gleaned from press cuttings

noun

The process or period of gathering in crops.

Usage examples:

Farmers work longer hours during the harvest

verb

Gather (a crop) as a harvest.

Usage examples:

After harvesting, most of the crop is stored in large buildings

noun

The activity or time of gathering a crop, or a crop that is gathered

Usage examples:

[ u ] we picked the corn that had been missed during harvest., [ c ] he had a large garden and love…

verb

Comprise or contain as part of a whole.

Usage examples:

The price includes dinner, bed, and breakfast

noun

A word or set of words by which a person or thing is known, addressed, or referred to.

Usage examples:

My name is john parsons

verb

Give a name to.

Usage examples:

Hundreds of diseases had not yet been isolated or named

adjective

(of a person or product) having a well-known name.

Usage examples:

Specialized name brands geared to niche markets

verb

Propose or formally enter as a candidate for election or for an honour or award.

Usage examples:

The film was nominated for several oscars

adjective

Denoting a race or subspecies which is given the same epithet as the species to which it belongs, e.g. homo sapiens sapiens.

Usage examples:

The nominate race and two subspecies occur

verb

To officially suggest someone for a position, an honor, or election

Usage examples:

She was nominated by the president to serve on the supreme court., [ u ] three candidates are seeki…

noun

A thing that is or may be chosen.

Usage examples:

Choose the cheapest options for supplying energy

verb

Buy or sell an option on.

Usage examples:

His second script will have been optioned by the time you read this

noun

One thing that can be chosen from a set of possibilities, or the freedom to make a choice

Usage examples:

The program helps students explore career options., he decided to exercise an option to break the t…

verb

Take hold of (something) and quickly remove it from its place.

Usage examples:

She plucked a blade of grass

noun

Spirited and determined courage.

Usage examples:

It must have taken a lot of pluck to walk along a path marked ‘danger’

verb

To remove something, esp. with a sudden movement

Usage examples:

Astronauts plan to use the shuttle’s robot arm to pluck the satellite out of space., she plucked he…

verb

Like (one thing or person) better than another or others; tend to choose.

Usage examples:

I prefer venice to rome

verb

To choose or want one thing rather than another

Usage examples:

[ t ] we have tea and coffee, but perhaps you’d prefer a cold drink., [ t ] he prefers watching bas…

noun

A greater liking for one alternative over another or others.

Usage examples:

Her preference for white wine

noun

A preference is also an advantage given to someone

Usage examples:

[ u ] the city gives preference to job applicants who live there.

noun

The fact of liking or wanting one thing more than another

Usage examples:

Preference for sth these investors had a preference for securities rather than bank deposits., more…

verb

Exert force on (someone or something) so as to cause movement towards oneself.

Usage examples:

He pulled them down on to the couch

noun

An act of pulling something.

Usage examples:

Give the hair a quick pull and it comes out by the roots

verb

Apply force so as to cause motion towards the source of the motion

verb

Cut or gather (a crop or harvest).

Usage examples:

Many men were employed to reap the harvest

Get or derive

verb

Carefully choose as being the best or most suitable.

Usage examples:

Children must select their gcse subjects

adjective

(of a group of people or things) carefully chosen from a larger number as being the best or most valuable.

Usage examples:

He joined his select team of young intelligence operatives

verb

Pick out or choose from a number of alternatives

noun

The action or fact of carefully choosing someone or something as being the best or most suitable.

Usage examples:

Such men decided the selection of candidates

noun

The act of choosing, or the person or thing chosen

Usage examples:

[ c ] they performed a mix of old hits and selections from their new cd., [ c ] that bookstore has …

noun

The process of choosing someone or something from a group of people or things after careful thought

Usage examples:

The selection of sth/sb it is alleged that he tried to improperly influence the selection of a part…

verb

Play (a guitar or similar instrument) by sweeping the thumb or a plectrum up or down across the strings.

Usage examples:

He was sitting in the bedroom strumming a guitar

noun

A sound made by strumming a guitar or similar instrument.

Usage examples:

The brittle strum of acoustic guitars

verb

To play a guitar or similar instrument by moving the fingers lightly across all of the strings together

verb

Lay hold of (something) with one's hands; reach for and hold.

Usage examples:

Mrs morgan took another biscuit

noun

A scene or sequence of sound or vision photographed or recorded continuously at one time.

Usage examples:

He completed a particularly difficult scene in two takes

verb

Get into one's hands

phrasal verb

Provide with shelter

verb

To move something or someone from one place to another

Usage examples:

Please, take me with you!, it may rain, so take your umbrella., the suitcases were taken to madrid …

verb

To subtract one number or amount from another

Usage examples:

Take sth from sth you'll need to take $2,000 from the $8,000 to allow for tax., take sth/sb off (st…

verb

Make a continuous rhythmic humming sound.

Usage examples:

The boat's huge engines thrummed in his ears

noun

A continuous rhythmic humming sound.

Usage examples:

The steady thrum of rain on the windows

verb

Cover or adorn (cloth or clothing) with ends of thread.

Usage examples:

The red sash of royalty is made of net work, and thrummed with red and yellow feathers.

noun

A strong ringing sound such as that made by the plucked string of a musical instrument or a released bowstring.

Usage examples:

There was a twang from marian's bow

verb

Make or cause to make a twang.

Usage examples:

A spring twanged beneath him

noun

A ringing sound that begins suddenly and continues, gradually getting less strong, like the sound made when the string of a musical instrument is pulled and quickly released