Pull vs Pick - What's the difference?

In printing|dated|lang=en terms the difference between pull and pick

is that pull is (printing|dated) to take or make (a proof or impression); so called because hand presses were worked by pulling a lever while pick is (printing|dated) a particle of ink or paper embedded in the hollow of a letter, filling up its face, and causing a spot on a printed sheet.

In cricket|lang=en terms the difference between pull and pick

is that pull is (cricket) a kind of stroke by which a leg ball is sent to the off side, or an off ball to the side while pick is (cricket) to recognise the type of ball being bowled by a bowler by studying the position of the hand and arm as the ball is released.

In dated|lang=en terms the difference between pull and pick

is that pull is (dated) a contest; a struggle while pick is (dated) 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.

As verbs the difference between pull and pick

is that pull is to apply a force to (an object) so that it comes toward the person or thing applying the force while pick is to grasp and pull with the fingers or fingernails.

As nouns the difference between pull and pick

is that pull is an act of pulling (applying force) while pick is a tool used for digging; a pickaxe.

pull

English

Verb

(en verb)

to apply a force to (an object) so that it comes toward the person or thing applying the force

* Bible, Genesis viii. 9

He put forth his hand and pulled her in.

* Shakespeare

Ne'er pull your hat upon your brows.

To gather with the hand, or by drawing toward oneself; to pluck.

to pull''' fruit from a tree; to '''pull''' flax; to '''pull a finch

to apply a force such that an object comes toward the person or thing applying the force

You're going to have to pull harder to get that cork out of the bottle.

To attract or net; to pull in.

* Marcella Ridlen Ray, Changing and Unchanging Face of United States Civil Society

Television, a favored source of news and information, pulls the largest share of advertising monies.

To draw apart; to tear; to rend.

* Bible, Lam. iii. 11

He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.

(ambitransitive, UK, Ireland, slang) to persuade (someone) to have sex with one

I pulled at the club last night.

He's pulled that bird over there.

to remove (something), especially from public circulation or availability

Each day, they pulled the old bread and set out fresh loaves.

(informal) to do or perform

He regularly pulls 12-hour days, sometimes 14.

You'll be sent home if you pull another stunt like that.

to retrieve or generate for use

I'll have to pull a part number for that.

* 2006 , Michael Bellomo, Joel Elad, How to Sell Anything on Amazon...and Make a Fortune!

They'll go through their computer system and pull a report of all your order fulfillment records for the time period you specify.

to toss a frisbee with the intention of launching the disc across the length of a field

to row

* 1874 , (Marcus Clarke), (For the Term of His Natural Life) Chapter VI

It had been a sort of race hitherto, and the rowers, with set teeth and compressed lips, had pulled stroke for stroke.

To strain (a muscle, tendon, ligament, etc.).

(video games, ambitransitive) To draw (a hostile non-player character) into combat, or toward or away from some location or target.

* 2003 April 9, "Richard Lawson" (username), " Monual's Willful Ignorance", in alt.games.everquest, Usenet:

…we had to clear a long hallway, run up half way, pull the boss mob to us, and engage.

* 2004 October 18, "Stush" (username), " Re: focus pull", in alt.games.dark-age-of-camelot, Usenet:

Basically buff pet, have it pull lots of mobs, shield pet, chain heal pet, have your aoe casters finish off hurt mobs once pet gets good aggro.

* 2005 August 2, "Brian" (username), " Re: How to tank Stratholme undead pulls?", in alt.games.warcraft, Usenet:

This is the only thing that should get you to break off from your position, is to pull something off the healer.

* 2007 April 10, "John Salerno" (username), " Re: Managing the Command Buttons", in alt.games.warcraft, Usenet:

You could also set a fire trap, pull the mob toward it, then send in your pet….

* 2008 August 18, "Mark (newsgroups)" (username), " Re: I'm a priest now!", in alt.games.warcraft, Usenet:

Shield yourself, pull' with Mind Blast if you want, or merely ' pull with SW:P to save mana, then wand, fear if you need to, but use the lowest rank fear.

to score a certain amount of points in a sport.

* How many points did you pull today, Albert?

(horse-racing) To hold back, and so prevent from winning.

The favourite was pulled .

(printing, dated) To take or make (a proof or impression); so called because hand presses were worked by pulling a lever.

(cricket) To strike the ball in a particular manner. (See noun sense.)

* R. H. Lyttelton

Never pull a straight fast ball to leg.

(UK, slang) To pour beer from a pump, keg, or other source.

Let's stop at Finnigan's. The barkeep ''pulls'' a good pint.

Synonyms

* drag, tow, tug, yank * score * (to remove from circulation) recall, withdraw, yank * (sense) carry out, complete, do, execute, perform * (to retrieve or generate for use) generate, get, get hold of, get one's hands on, lay one's hands on, obtain, retrieve * score

Antonyms

* push, repel, shove

Derived terms

See also pulling * it's not the whistle that pulls the train * overpull * pull a... * pull about * pull a face * pull a fast one * pull ahead * pull away * pull back * pull down * pull for * pull in * pulling * pull in one's horns * pull off * pull oneself together * pull one's weight * pull out * pull out all the stops * pull out of the fire * pull over * pull-quote * pull rank * pull round * pull somebody's leg * pull the other one * * pull the wool over someone's eyes * pull through * pull together * pull up

Noun

(en noun)

An act of pulling (applying force)

He gave the hair a sharp pull and it came out.

* Jonathan Swift

I awakened with a violent pull upon the ring which was fastened at the top of my box.

An attractive force which causes motion towards the source

The spaceship came under the pull of the gas giant.

iron fillings drawn by the pull of a magnet

She took a pull on her cigarette.

Any device meant to be pulled, as a lever, knob, handle, or rope

a zipper pull

(slang, dated) Something in one's favour in a comparison or a contest; an advantage; means of influencing.

In weights the favourite had the pull .

Appeal or attraction (as of a movie star)

(Internet, uncountable) The situation where a client sends out a request for data from a server, as in server pull'', ''pull technology

A journey made by rowing

* 1874 , (Marcus Clarke), (For the Term of His Natural Life) Chapter V

As Blunt had said, the burning ship lay a good twelve miles from the Malabar, and the pull was a long and a weary one. Once fairly away from the protecting sides of the vessel that had borne them thus far on their dismal journey, the adventurers seemed to have come into a new atmosphere.

(dated) A contest; a struggle.

a wrestling pull

(Carew)

(obsolete, poetic) Loss or violence suffered.

* Shakespeare

Two pulls at once; / His lady banished, and a limb lopped off.

(slang) The act of drinking.

to take a pull at a mug of beer

(Charles Dickens)

(cricket) A kind of stroke by which a leg ball is sent to the off side, or an off ball to the side.

* R. A. Proctor

The pull is not a legitimate stroke, but bad cricket.

Synonyms

* (act of pulling) tug, yank * (attractive force) attraction * (device meant to be pulled) handle, knob, lever, rope * (influence) influence, sway

Antonyms

* (act of pulling) push, shove * (attractive force) repulsion * (device meant to be pulled) button, push, push button * (influence)

Derived terms

* on the pull * pull cord * ring-pull

pick

English

(wikipedia pick)

Noun

(en noun)

A tool used for digging; a pickaxe.

A tool for unlocking a lock without the original key; a lock pick, picklock.

A comb with long widely spaced teeth, for use with tightly curled hair.

A choice; ability to choose.

* Lord Lytton

France and Russia have the pick of our stables.

That which would be picked or chosen first; the best.

(basketball) A screen.

(lacrosse) An offensive tactic in which a player stands so as to block a defender from reaching a teammate.

(American football) An interception.

(baseball) A good defensive play by an infielder.

(baseball) A pickoff.

(music) A tool used for strumming the strings of a guitar; a plectrum.

A pointed hammer used for dressing millstones.

(obsolete) A pike or spike; the sharp point fixed in the center of a buckler.

* Beaumont and Fletcher

Take down my buckler and grind the pick on 't.

(printing, dated) A particle of ink or paper embedded in the hollow of a letter, filling up its face, and causing a spot on a printed sheet.

(MacKellar)

(art, painting) That which is picked in, as with a pointed pencil, to correct an unevenness in a picture.

(weaving) The blow that drives the shuttle, used in calculating the speed of a loom (in picks per minute); hence, in describing the fineness of a fabric, a weft thread.

so many picks to an inch

Derived terms

* pickaxe * take one's pick * toothpick

Verb

(en verb)

To grasp and pull with the fingers or fingernails.

Don't pick at that scab.

He picked his nose.

To harvest a fruit or vegetable for consumption by removing it from the plant to which it is attached; to harvest an entire plant by removing it from the ground.

It's time to pick the tomatoes.

To pull apart or away, especially with the fingers; to pluck.

She picked flowers in the meadow.

to pick feathers from a fowl

To take up; especially, to gather from here and there; to collect; to bring together.

to pick rags

To remove something from with a pointed instrument, with the fingers, or with the teeth.

to pick''' the teeth; to '''pick''' a bone; to '''pick''' a goose; to '''pick a pocket

* Shakespeare

Did you pick Master Slender's purse?

* Cowper

He picks clean teeth, and, busy as he seems / With an old tavern quill, is hungry yet.

To decide upon, from a set of options; to select.

I'll pick the one with the nicest name.

(cricket) To recognise the type of ball being bowled by a bowler by studying the position of the hand and arm as the ball is released.

He didn't pick the googly, and was bowled.

(music) To pluck the individual strings of a musical instrument or to play such an instrument.

He picked a tune on his banjo.

To open (a lock) with a wire, lock pick, etc.

To eat slowly, sparingly, or by morsels; to nibble.

* Dryden

Why stand'st thou picking ? Is thy palate sore?

To do anything nicely or carefully, or by attending to small things; to select something with care.

To steal; to pilfer.

* Book of Common Prayer

to keep my hands from picking and stealing

(obsolete) To throw; to pitch.

* Shakespeare

as high as I could pick my lance

(dated) 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.

To separate or open by means of a sharp point or points.

to pick matted wool, cotton, oakum, etc.

Derived terms

* a bone to pick * picky * pickpocket * nitpick * pick and choose * pick 'em * nose-picking * pick somebody's brain * pick up * pick up on * pick up where one left * pickin' and grinnin' * ripe for the picking