picked
1 Americanadjective
-
specially chosen or selected, usually for special skill.
a crew of picked men.
-
cleared or cleaned by or as if by picking.
picked fruit.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of picked1
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at pick 1, -ed 2
Origin of picked2
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at pick 2, -ed 3
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.
Nardi has picked up capybaras from a supermarket warehouse, a shopping-mall parking lot, and a gas station on a busy avenue.
From Slate • May 27, 2026
Al Amin says he and his wife still torture themselves, thinking that their daughter may have picked up the virus in the hospital.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
The S&P Global manufacturing purchasing managers’ survey indicated industry activity picked up in April, with the headline index rising to 53.3.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
Oil major BP on Tuesday said it’s ousting the chair it appointed only last year, but keeping the chief executive he picked.
From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026
Peter dragged him away, then picked him up in his arms and came sliding and stumbling past us.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
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.
