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picking — the action of selecting or choosing something carefully

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: the action of selecting or choosing something carefully

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈpɪkɪŋ/

Example Sentences

  • My mom caught me picking my nose during the Zoom meeting.
  • Stop picking on your little brother!
  • He's very good at picking stocks, unlike picking girlfriends.

picking

NOUN

[/ˈpɪkɪŋ/]

the action of selecting or choosing something carefully

a woman holds up a bright red apple, examining it closely while reaching toward a pile of fresh apples on display. She tilts the apple in different directions, checking its surface for quality. After finding a small blemish, she gently places it back and reaches for another apple. Her careful examination leads her to select three perfect apples which she places in her basket. The vendor smiles approvingly as he watches her thoughtful selection process. Other customers nearby follow similar careful choosing behaviors at different stalls.  the action of selecting or choosing something carefully
💡 Concept

a woman holds up a bright red apple, examining it closely while reaching toward a pile of fresh apples on display. She tilts the apple in different directions, checking its surface for quality. After finding a small blemish, she gently places it back and reaches for another apple. Her careful examination leads her to select three perfect apples which she places in her basket. The vendor smiles approvingly as he watches her thoughtful selection process. Other customers nearby follow similar careful choosing behaviors at different stalls. the action of selecting or choosing something carefully

Picking treasures while time's ticking and the detector's clicking!
🎵 Rhyme

Picking treasures while time's ticking and the detector's clicking!

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˈpɪkɪŋ/
🇬🇧 UK/ˈpɪkɪŋ/

🌳Etymology

Rootpick
Suffix--ing

Origin

Derived from Middle English 'pikken', meaning 'to pierce or prick with a pointed object'. The sense evolved from the physical action of piercing to the more abstract meaning of 'to select or choose', as picking out items from a group resembles the pointed action of selection.

Breakdown

pick (from Middle English pikken, to pierce or select) + -ing (present participle suffix indicating an ongoing action or gerund form).

🎵Rhyme

ticking
sticking
clicking
kicking

🔗Collocations

fruit picking
picking season
cherry picking
picking list
nose picking
picking up
lock picking

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

“My mom caught me picking my nose during the Zoom meeting.”

“Stop picking on your little brother!”

😄 Fun example

“He's very good at picking stocks, unlike picking girlfriends.”

“The company is picking new employees for the overseas project.”

😄 Fun example

“Strawberry picking turned into a berry eating contest.”

📚Related Words

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