# pick out

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/pick-out
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To distinguish; discern.

## Examples

- Can you pick out the best apple from this basket?
- It was dark, but she could just barely pick out the shape of the house in the distance.
- Amidst the chaotic noise of the crowded station, he struggled to pick out the specific melody of the distant street performer.

## Origin

A phrasal verb formed from the Middle English *picken* and the adverb *out*, the construction parallels the Saterland Frisian *uutpikke* and the Dutch *uitpikken*. Records indicate the components functioned as a compound for selection and discernment from at least the 14th century.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.