pick

1) No definition available

The verb is found as the first element in numerous by-names where it seems to have meant ‘to eat’, possibly pejoratively, although that remains speculative: 1301 De Willelmo Pykepasteth’, Felixkirk

1301 De Hugone Pykewastelle, Skelton in Cleveland

1316 John Pykehuskes, Stanley

1379 Nicholaus Pykhauer, Rimington.

dates 1301 1316 1379

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2) A regional spelling of pitch, the black substance obtained from the boiling or distillation of tar.

1395 It. pro j barell de pyk, iijs, Whitby

1446 pro rosyn et pyk, York

1510 Item of ylk a barrell terre of pyke, qu, York

1789 pick and tar for pump, Tong. Inventories for South Cave have: 1589 a pick pann

1603 a little panm & a pick pan

1616 a tarpan.

dates 1395 1446 1510 1589 1603 1616 1789

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3) As a verb this could mean to rob or plunder.

1728 was driving three Horses throo the towne of Cumberworth loaded with wheate Flower and ... Mary Pease ... told this informant that some persons had pick’d the loads ... and was deviding it emongest them.

places Cumberworth
dates 1728

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4) To vomit, a regional usage.

1781 I called and smok’d 1 pipe with Mr Stansfield at night, had an overloading on my stomack and pick’d in the lane just below Mr Stansfield, Slaithwaite.

places Slaithwaite
dates 1781

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5) To abort or miscarry.

1723 Mary Mangham ... calling her whore ... told her she was with a cubb and if she wud come to the doore she would make her pick it and wud rasle [wrestle] her to pieces, Skipton

1798 A Wye had picked her calf, Sessay.

places Skipton Sessay
dates 1723 1798

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6) No definition available

The work-force in the first commercial coal-pits was small and it consisted of a few face-workers, a labourer or labourers who moved the coal to the bottom of the shaft, and a worker on the surface who hauled up the coal. The man hewing the coal was the élite workman and the pick which was his main tool served to identify him: 1486 3 picks, one barrow-man, one bank-man, Cortworth

1601 the said John Boys … shall not at any tyme … digge or gett coles … in Northowram with above three pickes at once

1666 to keepe in worke eighte pickes, South Crosland. This gave way to the term ‘pickman’ which featured prominently in a legal dispute: c.1730 priviledge to sink, digg … with five Workmen Commonly called pickmen and with no greater number at once … he that works the strait work being allways to be reconed one of the said pickmen, Beeston. When a Featherstone miner was killed by falling rock in 1323, a coroner decided that his pick had caused the accident: pro quodam picosio per quem Simon Galpyn fodebat carbones in quodam puteo.

spellings pickman
dates 1323 1486 1601 1666 1730

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Photo by Kreuzschnabel CC BY-SA 3.0