# picking

/ˈpɪkɪŋ/ (US) · /pˈɪkɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/picking
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. the act of choosing

noun · CEFR B2

the act of choosing or selecting something from a group.

For teachers: the process or act of making a selection from available options.

- The picking of the final team members took several hours of debate.
- The careful picking of candidates for the executive board required a thorough review of their professional histories and personal references.

### 2. harvesting

noun · CEFR B2

the act of gathering fruit, vegetables, or flowers.

For teachers: the act of harvesting or gathering agricultural produce by hand.

- Apple picking is a popular activity for families during the autumn months.
- The seasonal picking of grapes must be timed precisely to ensure the sugar content is optimal for wine production.

### 3. leftover scraps

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

the small or poor-quality things that are left after the best parts have been taken.

For teachers: the remains or scraps left over after others have selected the most desirable items; often used in the plural 'pickings'.

- By the time we arrived at the sale, there were only slim pickings left.
- The latecomers found only slim pickings on the buffet table, as the earlier guests had already consumed the prime cuts of meat.

### 4. dishonest gains

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal

money or profits that someone gets in a way that is not completely honest.

For teachers: proceeds or spoils, particularly those obtained through opportunistic or unscrupulous means; typically used in the plural.

- The corrupt official enjoyed the rich pickings from the city's construction contracts.
- The administration was plagued by scandals involving officials who viewed public office as a source of easy pickings for their associates.

## Examples

- The fruit picking starts early in the morning.
- After the best items were sold, the pickings at the garage sale were quite slim.
- While the initial harvest was bountiful, latecomers found the pickings to be sparse, consisting mostly of bruised or undersized produce that the commercial buyers had rejected.

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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.