The Collaborative International Dictionary
Pick \Pick\ (p[i^]k), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Picked (p[i^]kt); 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.]
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To throw; to pitch. [Obs.]
As high as I could pick my lance.
--Shak. 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.
To separate or open by means of a sharp point or points; as, to pick matted wool, cotton, oakum, etc.
To open (a lock) as by a wire.
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.
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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.
Did you pick Master Slender's purse?
--Shak.He picks clean teeth, and, busy as he seems With an old tavern quill, is hungry yet.
--Cowper. 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.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.
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To trim. [Obs.] --Chaucer. 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.
To pluck; to remove by picking.
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To shoot or bring down, one by one; as, sharpshooters pick off the enemy. To pick out.
To mark out; to variegate; as, to pick out any dark stuff with lines or spots of bright colors.
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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.
To take up, as with the fingers.
To get by repeated efforts; to gather here and there; as, to pick up a livelihood; to pick up news.
Usage examples of "to pick at".
A balloon glass of good brandy was at his elbow, and a box of sugary, scented Turkish delight rested on a small table for him to pick at while he explained in his deep, bubbling voice what they wanted.
Maybe vision quests worked for Indians, but no animals were interested in him, unless it was to pick at his bones after he was dead.
Hands folded in her lap, fingers occasionally escaping to pick at her skirt.
He had pulled off his gloves and started to pick at the ice with his fingers, then covered his ears with his hands, and for a moment Pirojil thought that Morray was trying to say that he wouldn't listen, but then realized that the Baron was just trying to warm his frozen ears.
Mundin hesitated, but already Dworcas was beginning to pick at papers on his desk.
No matter how comfortable a society became, no matter how fair, no matter how nearly perfect, there was always someone who wanted flas to pick at.