pick out
Britishverb
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to select for use or special consideration, illustration, etc, as from a group
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to distinguish (an object from its surroundings), as in painting
she picked out the woodwork in white
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to perceive or recognize (a person or thing previously obscured)
we picked out his face among the crowd
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to distinguish (sense or meaning) from or as if from a mass of detail or complication
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to play (a tune) tentatively, by or as if by ear
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Choose, select, as in She picked out the best piece of fabric . [Early 1500s]
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Distinguish, discern from one's surroundings, as in They managed to pick out their mother from the crowd . [Mid-1500s]
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Identify the notes of a tune and play it on an instrument, as in When she was four she could pick out folk songs on the piano . [Late 1800s]
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.
“He let us pick out some matching hats. Mr. Martin’s wearing his bowler tonight, and if you see someone else in the bowler they’re probably with our team.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Although cases appear more in Europe and east Asia, he said it was "too broad" to pick out specific hotspots.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
He was a first-round draft pick out of high school in Georgia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
There are two belt systems that run concurrently; a half-dozen crew members pick out undesirable materials early on so they don't cause problems in the machinery.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
I wanted to pick out my own skirts and jumpers.
From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia
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.
