picking

[US]/'pɪkɪŋ/
[UK]/'pɪkɪŋ/
Frequency: Very High

Translation

v. gathering fruits or flowers by hand.

Phrases & Collocations

fruit picking

vegetable picking

picking flowers

picking berries

picking apples

picking up

order picking

picking system

Example Sentences

They were picking cotton.

The baby is picking at the bedclothes.

just a cotton-picking minute!.

a nit-picking legalistic exercise.

the old woman was picking at the sheet.

The artist is picking in shadows in the picture.

a cotton-picking fool; out of your cotton-picking mind.

picking a remedy can be a bit hit-and-miss.

now, please don't start picking at Ruth.

he made the mistake of picking a quarrel with John.

picking up snatches of conversation.

At work he’s always picking quarrels.

He's always picking about something.

a cadaverous mongrel picking through the garbage.

He sat there ruminating and picking at the tablecloth.

The sick boy was only picking at his food.

The peasants were picking up in the field.

The man was picking up the ground very hard.

He and his mates were out picking mangoes.

Real-world Examples

Tanooka first told police his son disappeared while the family was picking vegetables.

Source: CET-4 Listening Comprehension - News Report

The opposite side, we see some finger picking.

Source: Connection Magazine

Well, they're not picking up their phone.

Source: Modern Family - Season 04

Although I suspect his wife did the picking out.

Source: Go blank axis version

Trade and investment are still at a low ebb while protectionism is picking up.

Source: CRI Online October 2016 Collection

Women do the picking, while the men process and pack it.

Source: Beautiful China

Nick, and he's not picking up the car till tomorrow.

Source: Modern Family - Season 02

But construction is still picking up as the housing market improves.

Source: NPR News October 2013 Collection

In these still waters, it's easy pickings for these speedy torpedoes.

Source: National Geographic Science Popularization (Video Version)

Yeah my friend should be picking me up at the train station.

Source: How to have a conversation in English

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