handpick

[ hand-pik ]

/ ˈhændˈpɪk /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR handpick ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to pick by hand.

to select personally and with care: The boss handpicked his assistants.

Nearby words

Origin of handpick

First recorded in 1825–35; hand + pick¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hand-picked

Hand-picked recruits were invited to rural England for basic infantry and junior command training.
Libyan Troops Go Wild in England|Nico Hines|November 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then came the demands for ideological purity—and hand-picked staff.
Koch Foundation to College: We’ll Give You Millions—if You Teach Our Libertarian Ideology|Center for Public Integrity|September 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After all, the company—which employs 4,000 hand-picked employees—has reportedly reaped in revenue upwards of $160 million.
North Korea’s Art Factory Has an International Fan Base||August 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The latter was scouted walking the streets of London and hand-picked by stylist Julian Ganio for a GQ Style shoot.
Celebrating Sikh Style|Soraya Roberts|October 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST

In just 90 minutes, my hand-picked instructors will share my techniques, which took my entire career to develop.
8 Juicy Bits from New York State’s Lawsuit Against Donald Trump|Eliza Shapiro|August 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Tavia was not at all particular about that part of it—whether it was hand-picked or peddler-purchased, and she said so promptly.
Dorothy Dale's Queer Holidays|Margaret Penrose
They desire that missionaries to Africa, like race leaders in the United States, be "hand-picked."
The History of the Negro Church|Carter Godwin Woodson
The fragments thus produced must be hand-picked, and those which are not perfectly free from foreign matter should be rejected.
The Methods of Glass Blowing and of Working Silica in the Oxy-Gas Flame|W. A. Shenstone
I've hand-picked a good crew for you, and sent them on ahead.
The Planet Savers|Marion Zimmer Bradley
Business was good; and by closing time on Wednesday the firm had in stock ten high-grade, hand-picked stray cats.
Sube Cane|Edward Bellamy Partridge

British Dictionary definitions for hand-picked

hand-picked

adjective

selected with great care, as for a special job or purpose; chosen

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012