Pickings

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpɪkɪŋz/

Definitions

1. The act of selecting or gathering items, often referring to food or natural resources
2. A term describing the items that can be collected or gathered, typically of a desirable nature
3. The available items or choices that can be picked, often used in the context of scavenging or harvesting

Etymology: "Pickings" is the plural of "picking," and the plural is the more interesting form here. "Picking" began as the act of gathering things by hand, as in plucking fruit or taking up small items, and over time the word shifted from the action to what the action yields. Its plural "pickings" therefore names the harvest itself: the scraps, leftovers, or spoils that remain to be gathered, often with an implication of easy or unearned gain. That shift from action to result explains the common phrase "easy pickings," which describes something requiring little effort to obtain. The word is a straightforward derivation from the verb "pick," with the "-ing" ending turning the act into a noun, and the plural then pluralizes the sense of many gathered items.

Synonyms: gatherings, harvests, collections, gleanings, choicest