a thin sharp implement used for removing unwanted material
"he used a pick to clean the dirt out of the cracks"
a basketball maneuver; obstructing an opponent with one's body
"he was called for setting an illegal pick"
A tool used for digging; a pickaxe.
"The construction worker swung his heavy pick to break up the frozen ground before laying the foundation."
In plain English: A pick is a small tool with a sharp point used for prying things apart or digging into tight spaces.
"She decided to change her original pick for the team captain."
Usage: As a noun, a pick refers to the heavy pointed head attached to an axe handle used for breaking up hard ground or rock. It is distinct from the entire tool itself, which is called a pickaxe.
To grasp and pull with the fingers or fingernails.
"She had to carefully pick the thorn from her thumb after it got stuck in her skin."
In plain English: To pick something means to choose it from a group of options.
"She will pick me up from school at three o'clock."
Usage: Use "pick" to describe grasping an object with your fingers or fingernails to lift or remove it, such as picking up a coin or picking at food. Do not use this verb for selecting items from a group, which requires the word "choose."
A surname.
"At the family reunion, Cousin Pick told everyone about his new garden."
The word "pick" comes from Old English words meaning to pluck or prick, which ultimately trace back to a root describing the making of a dull, hollow sound. It entered Middle English as piken before becoming the modern verb we use today for selecting items or breaking off small pieces.