▪ I. picked, a.
(ˈpɪkɪd)
[f. pick n.1 2 + -ed2.]
1. Having a pike or sharp point; acuminated, pointed, spiked; = peaked a. 1, piked a.1 1. Now arch. or dial.
| c 1430 Hymns Virg. 61 Harpe & giterne þere may y leere, And pickid staffe & buckelere, Þere-wiþ to plawe. 1579–80 North Plutarch (1676) 3 They have for the mark and stamp of their Money, the three picked Mace, which is the sign of Neptune. 1628 World Encomp. by Sir F. Drake 25 Picked rockes like towers. 1660 Sharrock Vegetables 70 The shield is to be made picked at both ends. 1686 tr. Livy i. xliii. 25 But their Arms were changed..a Javelin, and a picked Dart like a Spit. 1709 Hearne Collect. 30 Nov. (O.H.S.) II. 316 Twas triangular, but picked & sharp at top. 1763 Gray Let. in W. Mason Mem. (1807) II. 184 The tall picked arches, the light clustered columns. a 1845 Hood Lost Heir 84 To..be poked up behind with a picked pointed pole, when the soot has ketch'd, and the chimbly's red hot. 1863 Prior Pop. Names Brit. Plants (1879) 90 Gad is still used in our Western counties for a picked stick. 1863 J. R. Wise New Forest Gloss. 284 ‘A picked piece’ means a field with one or more sharp angular corners. 1887 S. H. A. Hervey Wedmore Chron. I. 327 (E.D.D.) Children still use ‘picked’ of a pencil with a good point to it. |
b. In names of animals, etc.: Having prickles or spines, spiny; as picked dog-fish (Spinax acanthius): cf. piked a.1 1 b.
| 1758 Descr. Thames 235 Fins, on..which are placed two Spines or Thorns, from whence he is called the Picked Dog-Fish. 1848 Zoologist VI. 1975 Picked Dog, Spear Dog, Spinax acanthius. 1862 Wood Reptiles, Fishes, etc. 74 The Picked Dog-fish derives its name from the powerful..weapons with which it is armed..the word Picked is a dissyllable, and must be pronounced Pick-ed. |
† 2. Peaked, tapering to a thin end. Obs.
| 1552 Huloet, Pycked head, whiche is sharpe about lyke a suger lofe, argutum caput. 1615 G. Sandys Trav. 63 Yellow or red slip-shooes, picked at the toe. 1665 Hooke Microgr. 156 Sorrel has a..three-square seed, which is picked at both ends. 1666 J. Davies Hist. Caribby Isles 25 The top of this Mountain seems to be very picked. 1683 Evelyn Diary 7 Dec., Dragoons..habited after the Polish manner, with long picked caps. 1696 Lond. Gaz. No. 3237/4 John Symons, Maltman.., with a picked Chin. 1762–71 H. Walpole Vertue's Anecd. Paint. (1786) I. 150 The head of a man, with a hat and picked beard. |
▪ II. picked, ppl. a.
(pɪkt, formerly and poet. ˈpɪkɪd)
Forms: α. 4, 6–7 pyked, 5 i-pikid, Sc. pykit, 5–7 piked. β. 5–6 pycked, 6– picked; 6–7 pickt, 7 pict, 7–8 pick'd; Sc. 6 pickit, 8 -et.
[f. pick v.1 + -ed1.]
1. Cleaned or cleared with a pick or toothpick; made bare or bald by picking; cleared of stalks, husks, or refuse parts. See pick v.1
| a 1400 Hylton Scala Perf. (W. de W. 1494) ii. xliii, Hym nedeth to haue whyte teeth & sharpe & well pycked that sholde byte of this ghostly brede. 1508 Kennedy Flyting w. Dunbar 548 Hangit, mangit, eddir-strangit, stryndie stultorum..Pickit, wickit, conuickit, lamp Lollardorum. 1637 Heywood Dialogues ii. Wks. 1874 VI. 120 Thin his haire,..his crowne Picked. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems 358 Nae doubt his hoose is thacket, But..I think it unco poor and picket, And far frae bonny. 1799 Hull Advertiser 2 Nov. 1/1 For sale..Riga picked flax. 1806 A. Hunter Culina (ed. 3) 178 A gill of picked shrimps. |
† 2. Adorned, ornate, trimmed; exquisitely fashioned or apparelled, spruce, refined, exquisite, nice, finical, particular, fastidious. Obs.
The exact sense is often doubtful.
| α 13.. E.E. Allit. P. A. 1035 Vch pane of þat place had þre ȝatez,..Þe portalez pyked of rych platez. c 1400 Beryn 1734 The Ches was al of yvery, the meyne fressh & newe I-pulsshid, & I-pikid, of white, asure, & blewe. 1423 Jas. I Kingis Q. vii, In his faire latyne tong, So full of fruyte, and rethorikly pykit. c 1570 Pride & Lowl. (1841) 19 Piked he was, and handsome in his weede. 1606 Holland Sueton. 148 Contemning the milder and more piked kinde of writing. 1613 W. Browne Sheph. Pipe i. xviii, Gay, fresh and piked was she. |
| β 1573–80 Baret Alv. P 349 A more curious and picked style, accuratius & exquisitius dicendi genus. 1592 Greene Def. Conny Catch. (1859) 33 Certayne quaint, pickt, and neate companions, attyred..alla mode de Fraunce. 1602 Shakes. Ham. v. i. 151 The Age is growne so picked, that the toe of the Pesant comes so neere the heeles of our Courtier, that hee galls his Kibe. 1605 Chapman All Fooles v. iv, 'Tis such a picked fellow, not a haire About his whole Bulke, but it stands in print. 1635 Laud in Ussher's Lett. (1686) 377 In this nice and picked Age, you have ended all things canonically. 1636 B. Jonson Discov. Wks. (Rtldg.) 759/1 When the words are proper and apt, their sound sweet, and the phrase neat and picked. [1892 Daily News 7 Mar. 5/1 Words..somewhat blunter in expression than our ‘picked’ age..would care to entertain.] |
3. a. Chosen out, selected, esp. for special excellence or efficiency, or for a definite purpose.
| a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VI 89 b, For feare of hym, or his picked armie. 1565–73 Cooper Thesaurus s.v. Corpus, Delecta Corpora,..chosen and pyked men. 1570 Foxe A. & M. (ed. 2) 157/1 The best & pikedst thyngs chosen out of many churches. 1610 Shakes. Temp. v. i. 247 At pickt leisure..I'le resolue you,..of euery These happend accidents. 1626 G. Hakewill Comparison, etc. 27 The pict choice men of the land. 1672 Marvell Reh. Transp. i. 209 As pick'd a man as could have been..found out in a whole Kingdome. 1799 J. Robertson Agric. Perth 538 Picked ewes from the Ochill flocks. 1873 M. Arnold Lit. & Dogma (1876) 8 Only a few picked craftsmen can manage it. 1877 Raymond Statist. Mines & Mining 250 The highest assay made from picked rock yielded $1,560.41 per ton. |
† b. Cricket. Chosen from outside. Obs.
| 1772 in Waghorn Cricket Scores (1899) 88, Sept. 28 was played at Egerton, a match at wicket..Egerton had two picked men on their side. 1773 Ibid. 98 The gentlemen of that place and one picked man. |
† 4. Contrived, provoked, designedly brought about; as, a picked quarrel. Obs.
| c 1470 Henryson Mor. Fab. xii. (Wolf & Lamb) xix, Syne vexis him..With pykit querrellis, for to mak him fane To flit. 1679 Oates Narr. Popish Plot 68 Poysoning and Assassinating by pickt Quarrels or otherwise. |
5. With adv. out, up: see pick v.1 19, 21. picked-over, from which the best has already been selected.
| 1771 J. Adams Diary 9 June, We had a picked up dinner. 1839 Congress. Globe 25th Congr. 3 Sess. App. 47/2 All the emigrants went on to the new lands, where they could get first choices at $1.25 per acre, because they could not give that sum for picked-over lands in the old counties. 1886 N. Sheppard Before Audience viii. 124 Audiences in England outside of the Established Church are weeded. To an American lecturer or preacher they have a picked-over appearance. The church takes the cream, the chapel the milk of society. 1889 Mivart Orig. Hum. Reason 80 Groups of picked-up straws. 1896 Daily Chron. 22 Aug. 3/2 Native seamen yelling and singing..coiling the picked-up cable. 1979 A. Parker Country Recipe Notebk. iii. 60 Fill up with well-picked-over berries. |
Hence ˈpickedly adv. (also 6 pykedly), † neatly, trimly, elegantly, daintily, fastidiously (obs.); ˈpickedness (also 7 pikednesse), † adornment, elegance, trimness, spruceness (obs.).
| 1540 R. Hyrde tr. Vives' Instr. Chr. Wom. i. xvi. (1557) 57 b, Maids..goodly and *pykedly araied. 1565–73 Cooper Thesaurus s.v. Cura, Curiose loqui, to speake curiously, or pykedly. 1593 Nashe Christ's T. (1613) 154 Their houses, so pickedly and neately must be trickt vp,..as if..they were to receiue Angels. |
| 1578 Timme Caluine on Gen., Heauenly and secret wisdom,..which..can[not] neede the *pickednes and entisement of wordes. 1606 Holland Sueton. 74 Negligent though hee were in all manner of pikednesse, for combing and trimming of his head so carelesse. 1630 S. Lennard tr. Charron's Wisd. iii. xl. §1 (1670) 517 Neither affected uncleannesse, nor exquisite pickednesse [in dress]. 1636 B. Jonson Discov., De Mollibus Wks. (1692) 706 Too much pickedness is not manly. |