pickle-worm 
plants. The larva, on Intclum.'. bores Into the vegeU- 
We, causing It to ml. Thu moth is found throughout 
Nortli itnil S<iiith V, 
picklock (J)ik'lok), 11. [< pii'/.l, r , + (ilij. /</.'.] 
1. Ail instrument for piddii}; or opening 11 lock 
. 
without the ke\ : :i pick. Sec cut under /'i<-/'l,4. 
NIIW, Hir, in their absence, will we fall to our jncklockt, 
cntt-r tlu- chamber, sci/c the jewels, make an escape from 
Florence, Ullll M'U lllf m:i(lc fur CVer. 
i>'t>'irli> r i/tini another), Fair Maid of the Inn, v. 2. 
2. A person who picks locks; especially, a Iliief 
who tries to enter doors by picking the locks. 
Any statc-decypherer, or politic piMnclcot the scene. o 
solemnly ridiculous as to search out who won meant by 
tin 1 uiiii-ter-hreurl woman. 
/;. Jinimn, Hartholomew Fair, Ind. 
3. A superior selected wool. See. the quotation. 
In the woollen trade short-staple wool is separated into 
i]ualitle, known, in descending series from the finest to 
the most worthless, as picklock, prime, choice, super, head, 
Ncoinda, abh, and breech. Encyc. Brit., XXIV. 660. 
pickman (pik'man), n. ; pi. pick '111,11 (-men). A 
workman who uses or is provided with a pick. 
I'l-i; Diet., IV. Gill. 
pick-mattock (pik'mat'ok), n. A mattock hav- 
ing a pointed pick at one end of the head, and 
at the other a blade get crosswise to the handle. 
See cut under picktu-. 
pickmaw (pik'ma), H. [Formerly pyktutiir; 
appar. < pick (uncertain) + maw, var. of mew 1 .] 
The black-headed or laughing gull of Europe, 
( 'lirtn'c'ici'pliiilus ridibundus. Alaopickmin; pi:'!. - 
HO, 
pick-me-up (pik'me-up), n. A stimulating 
drink. Olang.] 
pickmire (pik'mlr), ii. EhuMMjrtafeMaw. [Kox- 
burgh.] 
pick-mirk (pik'merk), a. Dark as pitch. 
[Scotch.! 
picknickt, An obsolete form of picnic. 
pick-over (pik'o'ver), ii. In weaving, a thread 
running loose across the cloth, or detached from 
the surface of the fabric. A, Barlow, Weaving, 
p. 316. 
pickpack, ndr. See pickapack. 
pickpennyt (pik'pen'i), n. [< pick 1 , v., + obj. 
penny.'} A miser; a skinflint; a sharper. Dr. 
H. More. 
pickpocket (pik'pok'et), n. [< pick 1 , v., + obj. 
pocket. Of . F. pickpocket, from the E.] 1. One 
who picks pockets ; one who steals, or makes a 
practice of stealing, from the pockets of others. 
2. A plant, chiefly the shepherd's-purse : so 
called from its impoverishing the soil. Also 
pickpurse. 
pick-pointed (pik'poin'ted), a. Having one of 
its points like that of a pickax: said of a ham- 
mer or an ax used as a tool or weapon. 
pickpurse (pik'pers), n. [< ME. pikepiirs, pyke- 
porse; <pick l , r., + obj. purse.] 1. One who 
steals the purse or from the purse of another. 
The pikepurn and eek the pale drede. 
Chaucer, Knight's Tale, 1. 1HO. 
Down with Christ's cross, up with purgatory ptcltpurx. 
Lahmer, Sermon of the Plough. 
I think he is not ipick-purte nor a horse-stealer. 
Shot., As you Like It, lit. 4. 24. 
2. Same as pickpocket, 2. 
pickquarrelt (pik'kwor'el), w. [< pick*-, v., + 
obj. quarrel 1 .} A quarrelsome person ; one 
ready to pick quarrels. 
There shall be men that love themselves, covetous, 
high-minded, proud, railers, disobedient to father and 
mother, unthankful, ungodly, churlish, promise-breakers, 
accusers, or pickqitarrelx. 
Tyndale, Ans. to sir T. More, etc. (Parker Soc., 1850X P- 1W. 
pick-rake (pik'rak), . A small rake, with teeth 
wide a part, used in the oyster-fisheries ingath- 
ering oysters from the beds. [Massachusetts.] 
pickrellt, An obsolete form of pickerel. 
picksea (pik'se), n. [Origin obscure. Ci 1 . 
iiiinr, pickiiiii-c.} Same as pickminr. 
picksome (pik'sum), a. [< '.pick 1 , r., + -some.} 
Given to picking and choosing; choice; select. 
[Colloq.] 
We were not quite so picksome In the matter of company 
as wo are now. H'. Besanl, Fifty Years Ago, p. 1SB. 
Pick's paint. See/iin/. 
picksyt, . An obsolete spelling of pisy. 
picktarny (pik'tiir-ni), n. [Also pictarnie ; cf. 
pickit; picket-, and tern.} The tern. .Sterna lii- 
niiitln. Mtiiitiif/ii. 
pickthankt (pft'thangk), . ro,v*-i, r.,+ obj. 
fli/ink.} One who picks a thank (see under pick, 
r.) ; an officious fellow who does what he is not 
asked to do, for the sake of gaining favor: n 
parasite; n flatterer; a toady; also, a talebear- 
er; a busybody. Also used adjectively. 
447.- 
A pack of pitk-Hiank* were the rest, 
which came false witness for to bear. 
Uatcoiyne (Arber's Eng. Garner, I. 63). 
Which oft tin 1 car nf greatness needs must hear, 
By smiling pick-thankt and base newsmongers. 
ftltalc., 1 Hen. IV. ,111. 2. 25. 
Whcrcnnto were Joined also the hard speeches uf her 
pifkthankf favourits, who to cnrry favcll spared not, etc. 
KmJle*, HIM. Turks, p. 108. 
He deaf unto the suggestions of tale-bearers, calumnia- 
tors, pick-thank or malevolent delators. 
Sir T. Browne, Christ. Mor, I. at. 
pickthankt ( pik'thaugk). r. /. [< pickthank, H.] 
To obtain by the methods of a pickthank. 
It had been a more probable story to have said he did 
It to pickthank an opportunity of getting more money. 
Roger North, Exuinen, p. 278. (Dane*. ) 
picktooth (pik'tath), n. ; pi. pickloothn, im- 
properly picktceth. [< pick*, r.. + obj. tooth.} 
If. An instrument for picking or cleaning the 
teeth ; a toothpick. 
What a neat case of pick-tooOa he carries about him 
still ! B. Jontton, Every Man out of his Humour, iv. 1. 
A curious parke pal'd round with pick-ln-th. 
Randolph'! Amyntax, ii. 8. (UallimU.) 
2. An umbelliferous plant, Ammi Vixnaga, of 
southern Europe : so called from the use made 
in Spain of the rays of the main umbel. 
pick-up (pik'up), a. Composed of such things 
or fragments as are immediately available, or 
can be got together; "scratch": as, a pick-up 
dinner. [Slang.] 
pickwick (pik'wik), n. [< pick 1 , v., + obj. 
wick 1 .} A pointed instrument for picking up 
the wick of an old-fashioned oil-lamp. 
Pickwickian (pik-wik'i-an), n. [< Pickirick 
(see def.) + -ian.} Relating to or resembling 
Mr. Pickwick, the hero of Dickens's "Pickwick 
Papers." Pickwickian sense, a merely technical or 
constructive sense : a phrase derived from a well-known 
scene In Dickeus's novel (see the first quotation). 
The chairman felt it his imperative duty to demand of 
the honourable gentleman whether he had used the ex- 
pression that had just escaped him In a common sense. 
Mr. Blotton had no hesitation in saying that he had not 
he had used the word in its Ficku-ickian sense. (Hear, 
hear.) IKckeiu, Pickwick Papers, I. 
Unltarfanism and Untversalism call themselves the 
church In an altogether Piclcwickian teruc of the word, or 
with pretensions so affable as to offend nobody. 
n. James, Subs, and Shad., p. 191). 
picle, n. A variant of pickle^. Minsheu. 
picnic (pik'nik), n. [i onnerly and more prop. 
picknick ( > P. picnic, piquenique (before 1740) 
= Q. picknick = Sw. picknick (1788) = Dtm.pik- 
kcnik, a picnic) ; a riming name of popular ori- 
gin, appar. < pick 1 , r.,4- "nick, for "knirlc or knack 
in lenieuutaet, nicknack, a trifle, but also a picnic. 
As in many other riming names, the elements 
are used without precision, but the lit. sense is 
appar. 'a picking or nibbling of bits,' a snatch, 
snack (cf . snatch, snack, in this sense, as related 
to snatch, v.).} Formerly, an entertainment in 
which every partaker contributed his share to 
the general table; now, an entertainment or 
pleasure-party the members of which carry pro- 
visions with them on an excursion, as from a 
city to some place in the country: also used 
adjectively: as, & picnic party; picnic biscuits 
(a kind of small sweet biscuits). 
picnic (pik'nik), v. i.; pret. and pp. picnicked, 
ppr. picnicking. [< picnic, n.} To attend a 
picnic, party; take part in a picnic meal: as, 
we picnicked in the woods. 
picnicker (pik'nik-er), n. One who takes part 
in a picnic. 
picnid (pik'nid), w. Same usnycnidium. 
picnohydrometer (pik"no-hi-drbm'e-ter), n. [< 
picno(meter) + hydrometer.} A combination 
of the picnometer and the hydrometer. E. H. 
Knight. 
picnometer, w. An erroneous spelling of pyc- 
nometcr. 
Picnonotus, . See Ptjcnonotus. 
Picoidese (pi-koi'de-e), n. pi. [NL., < Picas + 
-ouleee.} A superfamily of birds, including the 
families Piddle, Indicatoridx, Megaleemiilir. 
Klitiiiiphiintitlfe, (itilliulidfe, and Buc'conidee, or 
the woodpeckers, indicators, barbets, toucans, 
jacamars, and puff-birds. 
picoideous (pi-koi'de-us), a. Pertaining to the 
1'ictiitlcse. 
Picoides 1 (pi-koi'dez), . [NL. (Lacepede, 
1801), < Picas + -aides.} A genus of Piciilu 
lacking the first toe, having but one behind and 
two in front, but in other respects agreeing 
with I'icun proper: the three-toed woodpeckers. 
There are several species, of Europe, Asia, and North 
America, spotted with black and white, the male with 
red on the head, as the European P. tridactylus and the 
American P. americanmt or hirmtus. Another common 
American species is the black-backed three-toed wood- 
Picris 
|ii-ckcr, /'. nifiifiiM. Also callnl 'I'miiii-ii/la, Aptenuu, 
I'l/""!' . ;ih<l In, .-. 
Picoides-' (pI-koi'<Mz), . pi. [NL.. < 1'icu* + 
-a il< .- ( pi. ).J In lilytli'^yteni of clasification 
(1849), a series of his ///r/</<ir/i//i, consisting of 
the woodpeckers, honey-snides, liarlii-ts. nml 
t lie t oucans, touracotis, andcolir^. the lirt three 
of these being grouped as t'uiii-ii-n*trrs. the last 
three as Lrrtrimtri-a, 
picot (pe-ko'), ii. [< F. picot, a jearl, imrl, 
OK. picnt, jiii/iin/, pici/itot, ;i point. <iim. of pic, 
a point: see pike*.] 1. A small loop form- 
ing part of an ornamental edging, but larger 
than the pearl and thicker, consist ing of a thread 
upon which other threml lias been wound, or to 
which small stitches or knots have been added. 
2. The front or outer edge of a flounce or 
border, as of lace. Compare footing, 11. 
picotee (pik-o-to'), n. [Formerly also // />/. 
pit/Httte; saii to be < P. picotie, named after 
Picot, Baron do la Peyrouse (1744-1818), a 
French botanist.] One of a group of florists' 
varieties of the carnation, having petals with 
a white or yellow ground, marked at the outer 
margin only with red or other color, in older 
usage the picotee had a white ground, spotted or dusted 
with the secondary color. Also called picotet pint. See 
carnation, and cut under Dianthus. 
picotite (pik'o-tit ), n. [Named after Picot, Bar- 
on de la Peyrouse (see picotee).} A variety of 
spinel containing 7 or 8 per cent, of chromium 
sesquioxid. See spinel. 
picot-ribbon (pe-ko'rib'on), ii. Ribbon having 
a pearl-edjje or a sort ot fringe of loops made 
by the projecting threads of the weft. 
picott (pi-ko-ta ), a. [F. picote, < picot : see 
picot.} 1. In her., speckled and spotted. 2. 
Furnished with picots: as, a picotte ground of 
lace. 
picquet, and r. An obsolete spelling of pique*. 
Bp. Parker. 
picquerert, . See pickeerer. 
picquett, See piquet, 2. 
picque-work (pe-ka'werk), w. Decoration by 
means of dots or slight depressions. Compare 
pounced work, under pounced. 
picra (pik'ra), . [LL., a medicine made of 
aloes, <. Or. miioof, bitter. Cf. hiera-picra.} A 
powder of aloes with canella, composed of four 
parts of aloes to one part of canella. It is used 
as a cathartic. 
Picraena (pik-re'nii), n. [NL. (Lindley, 1849), 
< Gr. mnpof, bitter.] A genus of polypetalous 
trees of the order Simarubaceee and tribe Sima- 
rube, characterized by its four or five stamens 
without hairs, four or five petals not increas- 
ing in size, a four- or five-lobed disk, and soli- 
tary seeds without albumen. The 3 species are na- 
tives of tropical America. They resemble the nilantus- 
tree In habit, bearing alternate pinnate leaves, and cymose 
panicles of greenish Rowers, followed by small drupes re- 
sembling peas. Their wood is whitish or yellow, and ex- 
tremely bitter. See bitter-wood, 2, bitter ath (under <uA'X 
and quama. 
Picramnia (pik-ram'ni-a), ii. [NL. (Swartz, 
1797), < Gr. nviioof, bitter, + Bapm^, shrub.] A 
genus of shrubs and trees, of the order Sima- 
rubacex, type of the_ tribe Picramniete, charac- 
terized by carpels with two or more ovules, and 
dioecious flowers with from three to five sta- 
mens opposite as many linear petals. There are 
about 20 species, natives of tropical America. They bear 
alternate pinnate leaves, and small green or reddish flow- 
ers In clusters forming long slender drooping racemes, 
followed by two-celled fruits resembling olives. They are 
known ubitter-wood, and P Antidemia, the species most 
used medicinally, as cax-ara amarga bark (which see, un- 
der bark-), also macary-bitter, in a joe -bitter, olrt-woman's- 
bitter, and Tom-Bontryin'x-buth. 
Picramnieae (pik-ram-ni'e-e), n. pi. [NL. (Ben- 
tham and Hooker, 1862), < Picramnia + -a?.] A 
tribe of plants of the order Simarubaceie, distin- 
guished by the entire ovary of from two to five 
cells. It includes 11 genera of tropical trees or 
shrubs, of which Picramnia (the type) is the 
chief. 
picrate (pik'rat), w. [< picric + -ate 1 .} A salt 
of picric acid. 
picrated (pik'ra-ted), a. [< picrate + -fd?.} In 
pyrotechnics, mixed with a picrate as in a com- 
position for a whistling rocket. 
picric (pik'rik), a. [< Gr. mnp6f, bitter, + -ic.} 
Smiie as airh<i:ntic.-flcT\c add, an acid which is 
used as a dye on silk and wool, but more often In conjunc- 
tion with other colors as a modifier of shades than as an 
unmixed dye. Also called chrynolepicacid. See carbatatic. 
Picris (pik'ris), n. [NL. (Linnreus, 1737), < L. 
pi'ertX < Gr. n-ntp/f, a bitter herb,< mspor, bitter.] 
A genus of composite plants, of the tribe Cicho- 
riacete and subtribe Crepitleif, distinguished by 
its plumose pappus. There are about 25 species, in 
Enrope. northern Africa, and temperate regions of Asia; 
