The word pick has several meanings:

1. To choose or select something. When you pick a book from the library shelf, you're deciding which one you want to read. A team captain picks players for their side. Your mom might let you pick what's for dinner on your birthday. The choice can be quick (picking a crayon) or careful (picking a college years from now).
2. To gather or harvest something, usually by pulling it from a plant. Farmers pick apples from trees and strawberries from their low plants. You might pick wildflowers in a field. People say you shouldn't pick fruit before it's ripe, meaning you shouldn't take action before the time is right.
3. To use your fingers to remove or pull at something. Kids sometimes pick at scabs. A guitarist picks the strings of their instrument with a small piece of plastic, also called a pick.
4. To provoke or start something deliberately. When someone picks a fight, they're intentionally trying to start an argument. If you pick on someone, you're repeatedly bothering or bullying them. A pickpocket is a thief who steals from people's pockets without them noticing.