To pick to pieces

Pick Pick (p[i^]k), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Picked} (p[i^]kt); p. pr. & vb. n. {Picking}.] [OE. picken, pikken, to prick, peck; akin to Icel. pikka, Sw. picka, Dan. pikke, D. pikken, G. picken, F. piquer, W. pigo. Cf. {Peck}, v., {Pike}, {Pitch} to throw.] 1. To throw; to pitch. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

As high as I could pick my lance. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

2. To peck at, as a bird with its beak; to strike at with anything pointed; to act upon with a pointed instrument; to pierce; to prick, as with a pin. [1913 Webster]

3. To separate or open by means of a sharp point or points; as, to pick matted wool, cotton, oakum, etc. [1913 Webster]

4. To open (a lock) as by a wire. [1913 Webster]

5. To pull apart or away, especially with the fingers; to pluck; to gather, as fruit from a tree, flowers from the stalk, feathers from a fowl, etc. [1913 Webster]

6. To remove something from with a pointed instrument, with the fingers, or with the teeth; as, to pick the teeth; to pick a bone; to pick a goose; to pick a pocket. [1913 Webster]

Did you pick Master Slender's purse? --Shak. [1913 Webster]

He picks clean teeth, and, busy as he seems With an old tavern quill, is hungry yet. --Cowper. [1913 Webster]

7. To choose; to select; to separate as choice or desirable; to cull; as, to pick one's company; to pick one's way; -- often with out. ``One man picked out of ten thousand.'' --Shak. [1913 Webster]

8. To take up; esp., to gather from here and there; to collect; to bring together; as, to pick rags; -- often with up; as, to pick up a ball or stones; to pick up information. [1913 Webster]

9. To trim. [Obs.] --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

{To pick at}, to tease or vex by pertinacious annoyance.

{To pick a bone with}. See under {Bone}.

{To pick a thank}, to curry favor. [Obs.] --Robynson (More's Utopia).

{To pick off}. (a) To pluck; to remove by picking. (b) To shoot or bring down, one by one; as, sharpshooters pick off the enemy.

{To pick out}. (a) To mark out; to variegate; as, to pick out any dark stuff with lines or spots of bright colors. (b) To select from a number or quantity.

{To pick to pieces}, to pull apart piece by piece; hence [Colloq.], to analyze; esp., to criticize in detail.

{To pick a quarrel}, to give occasion of quarrel intentionally.

{To pick up}. (a) To take up, as with the fingers. (b) To get by repeated efforts; to gather here and there; as, to pick up a livelihood; to pick up news. [1913 Webster]