Pick

Pick is a word with multiple everyday uses as both a verb and a noun, spanning selection, manipulation, and tools. The word has Germanic roots and appears in Old English pican or pician, associated with poking, pecking, or prying.

As a verb, pick means to choose or select from a set of options. It can also mean to gather or harvest by hand, as in picking fruit or flowers. Other senses involve removing or prying something, such as picking a lock or picking lint from clothing, or picking at something, like scabs or sparse food. Phrases include pick up, pick out, and, in conflict contexts, pick a fight or pick sides.

As a noun, pick refers to several implements and items. An ice pick is a pointed tool for breaking ice; a mining pick (often part of a pickaxe) is used to break or loosen rock. A toothpick is a small wooden or plastic stick used after meals. A guitar pick (also called a plectrum) is a small flat instrument used to strike strings. In sports or entertainment, a draft pick denotes a player selected in a draft, with “top pick” signaling a highly regarded choice.

In music and communication, “picking” can describe playing techniques of stringed instruments (as opposed to fingerstyle or strumming) and the act of selecting or extracting information from data or conversations. Common phrases such as “pick of the litter,” “pick and choose,” and “pick someone’s brain” illustrate varied, nonliteral uses.

Overall, pick encompasses acts of selection, collection, and the use of various small tools designed for percussive, pry, or plucking actions.