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.
“If you looked at 10 guys with normal testosterone, you would have an impossible time trying to pick out the guy with the most testosterone,” says Morgentaler.
From Slate ● Sep. 13, 2026
The second-round pick out of Florida took over the role after Tyler Biadasz, who signed a three-year deal with the Chargers last offseason, tore an anterior cruciate ligament in practice last month.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
It has meant Ellesmere park ranger, Lee Fraser, has been able to go into the Mere with volunteers and pick out litter, such as bricks, pottery and mobile phones.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
This is the Anne who today’s Tudor history buffs could pick out of a lineup.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
They followed her into the women’s coat section and helped her pick out a simple navy peacoat.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
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.
