pick-off
noun
a play in which a base runner, caught off base, is tagged out by an infielder on a quick throw, usually from the pitcher or catcher.
pick-off
American
[pik-awf, -of]
/ ˈpɪkˌɔf, -ˌɒf /
noun
-
Baseball. a play in which a base runner, caught off base, is tagged out by an infielder on a quick throw, usually from the pitcher or catcher.
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Electronics. a mechanism that senses mechanical motion and produces a corresponding electric signal.
pick off
British
verb
pick off
Idioms
Etymology
Origin of pick-off
First recorded in 1935–40; noun use of verb phrase pick off
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Other times it’s on a failed pick-off attempt from the opposing pitcher throwing to first base.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 28, 2023
So, the dugout decided to call for a pick-off move, with bench coach Bob Geren signaling it in with a coded touch of his nose and ears.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2022
In hopes of giving reliever Alex Vesia an extra moment to warm up, the Dodgers dugout signaled for pitcher Yency Almonte to lob a pick-off to first base.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2022
An inning later, Gonzales’ throwing error on a pick-off attempt advanced Ketel Marte to third, and he scored on Carson Kelly’s sacrifice fly.
From Fox News ● Sep. 11, 2021
Cody walked Kyle Seager in the second inning, then threw a pick-off attempt wide to advance him to second.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 5, 2020
Navy decommissioned its last battleship in 1992, after the military recognized that battleships had become sitting ducks, vulnerable to modern military munitions that could pick off the vessel from the sky.
From Salon ● May 8, 2026
Interceptors that cost $100,000 pick off $500 drones.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 28, 2025
BigBear can certainly pick off smaller, more specialized government contracts, however, and even has a partnership with Palantir.
From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2025
Bellotti started Saturday's fight on the front foot, but Padley's sharp footwork and elite conditioning allowed him to pick off the 34-year-old.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2025
Then said, ‘We have to pick off the meat It doesn’t matter about the insides, we won’t come to them.’
From "I'm the King of the Castle" by Susan Hill
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
