–noun

1.	a supply of goods kept on hand for sale to customers by a merchant, distributor, manufacturer, etc.; inventory.

2.	a quantity of something accumulated, as for future use: a stock of provisions.

3.	livestock.

4.	Theater. a stock company: a job in summer stock.

5.	Finance. a. the outstanding capital of a company or corporation. b. the shares of a particular company or corporation. c. the certificate of ownership of such stock; stock certificate. d. (formerly) a tally or stick used in transactions between a debtor and a creditor.

6.	Horticulture. a. Also called understock. in grafting, a stem in which the bud or scion is inserted. b. a stem, tree, or plant that furnishes slips or cuttings; stock plant.

7.	the trunk or main stem of a tree or other plant, as distinguished from roots and branches.

8.	the type from which a group of animals or plants has been derived.

9.	a race or other related group of animals or plants.

10.	the person from whom a given line of descent is derived; the original progenitor.

11.	a line of descent; a tribe, race, or ethnic group.

12.	Linguistics. a category consisting of language families that, because of resemblances in grammatical structure and v 146 ocabulary, are considered likely to be related by common origin. Compare family (def. 14), phylum (def. 2).

13.	any grouping of related languages.

14.	the handle of a whip, fishing rod, etc.

15.	Firearms. a. the wooden or metal piece to which the barrel and mechanism of a rifle are attached. b. a part of an automatic weapon, as a machine gun, similar in position or function.

16.	the trunk or stump of a tree, left standing.

17.	a dull or stupid person.

18.	something lifeless or senseless.

19.	the main upright part of anything, esp. a supporting structure.

20.

stocks, a. a former instrument of punishment consisting of a framework with holes for securing the ankles and, sometimes, the wrists, used to expose an offender to public derision. Compare pillory (def. 1). b. a frame in which a horse or other animal is secured in a standing position for shoeing or for a veterinary operation. c. the frame on which a boat rests while under construction.

21.	Nautical. a. a vertical shaft forming part of a rudder and controlling the rudder's movement. b. a transverse piece of wood or metal near the ring on some anchors.

22.	the metal or wooden body of a carpenter's plane.

23.	Metallurgy. a. material being smelted in a blast furnace. b. a metal piece to be forged.

24.	Printing. a. a specified quality or kind of paper: glossy stock; car 1056 d stock; offset stock. b. the paper for printing a particular job: We don't have enough stock for that large a run.

25.	the raw material from which something is made.

26.	Papermaking. stuff (def. 15).

27.	Cookery. the liquor or broth prepared by boiling meat, fish, chicken, etc., with or without vegetables or seasonings, and used esp. as a foundation for soups and sauces.

28.	any of several plants belonging to the genus Matthiola, of the mustard family, esp. M. incana, having fragrant white, blue, purple, reddish, or yellowish flowers.

29.	a rhizome or rootstock.

30.	Zoology. a compound organism, as a colony of corals.

31.	a collar or a neckcloth fitting like a band around the neck.

32.	Cards. the portion of a pack of cards that, in certain games, is not dealt out to the players, but is left on the table, to be drawn from as occasion requires.

33.	an adjustable wrench for holding dies for cutting screws.

34.	Railroads. rolling stock.

35.	Dominoes. boneyard (def. 3).

36.	Informal. stock car (def. 1).

37.	Roman Catholic Church. one of a set of three metal containers for holy oil.

38.	Geology, Mining. an irregular igneous intrusion, usually an offshoot of a batholith, often mineralized.

39.	Archaic. a stocking.

40.	Obsolete. the frame of a plow to which the share, handles, etc., are attached.

–adjective

41.	kept regularl 13f y on hand, as for use or sale; staple; standard: stock articles.

42.	having as one's job the care of a concern's goods: a stock clerk.

43.	of the common or ordinary type; in common use: a stock argument.

44.	banal; commonplace: a stock remark.

45.	pertaining to or designating the breeding and raising of livestock: stock farming.

46.	Southern U.S. (chief bc2 ly Southern Appalachian and South Atlantic States). (of farm animals) being a fully grown male: a stock hog.

47.	of or pertaining to the stock of a company or corporation: a stock report.

48.	Theater. a. pertaining to a stock company. b. appearing together in a repertoire, as a company. c. forming part of a repertoire, as a play. d. being a character type fixed by convention, as in the commedia dell'-arte, a harlequinade, minstrel show, or the like.

49.	Informal. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a stock car.

–verb (used with object)

50.	to furnish with a stock or supply.

51.	to furnish with stock, as a farm with horses, cattle, etc.

52.	to lay up in store, as for future use.

53.	to fasten to or provide with a stock, as a rifle, plow, bell, anchor, etc.

54.	to put in the stocks as a punishment.

–verb (used without object)

55.	to lay in a stock of something (often fol. by up).

—Idioms

56.	in stock, on hand for use or sale: There are no more blue skirts in stock.

57.	lock, stock, and barrel. lock 1 (def. 29).

58.	on the stocks, a. under construction, as esp. a ship. b. in progress or preparation: a new novel on the stocks.

59.	out of stock, lacking a supply of, esp. temporarily: We are out of stock in this item.

60.	take or put stock in, to put confidence in or attach importance to; believe; trust: Considering his general unreliability, I can't take stock in what he has told you.

61.	take stock, a. to make an inventory of stock on hand. b. to make an appraisal of resources or prospects: She took stock of her decorating scheme and decided it was time for a change.

–verb (used with object)

1.	to choose or select from among a group: to pick a contestant from the audience.

2.	to seek and find occasion for; provoke: to pick a fight.

3.	to attempt to find; seek out: to pick flaws in an argument.

4.	to steal the contents of: Her pocket was picked yesterday.

5.	to open (a lock) with a device other than the key, as a sharp instrument or wire, esp. for the purpose of burglary.

6.	to pierce, indent, dig into, or break up (something) with a pointed instrument: to pick rock; to pick ore.

7.	to form (a hole) by such action: to pick a hole in asphalt.

8.	to use a pointed instrument, the fingers, the teeth, the beak, etc., on (a thing), in order to remove or loosen something, as a small part or adhering matter: to pick one's teeth.

9.	to prepare for use by removing a covering piece by piece, as feathers, hulls, or other parts: to pic 1056 k a fowl.

10.	to detach or remove piece by piece with the fingers: She picked the meat from the bones.

11.	to pluck or gather one by one: to pick flowers.

12.	(of birds or other animals) to take up (small bits of food) with the bill or teeth.

13.	to eat daintily or in small morsels.

14.	to separate, pull apart, or pull to pieces: to pick fibers.

15.	Music. a. to pluck (the strings of an instrument). b. to play (a stringed instrument) by plucking with the fingers.

–verb (used without object)

16.	to strike with or use a pick or other pointed instrument on something.

17.	(of birds or other animals) to take up small bits of food with the bill or teeth: The hens were busily picking about in their coop.

18.	to select carefully or fastidiously.

19.	to pilfer; steal.

20.	to pluck or gather fruit, flowers, etc.

21.	Basketball. to execute a pick.

–noun

22.	the act of choosing or selecting; choice; selection: to take one's pick.

23.	a person or thing that is selected: He is our pick for president.

24.	the choicest or most desirable part, example, or examples: This horse is the pick of the stable.

25.	the right of selection: He gave me my pick of the litter.

26.	the quantity of a crop picked, as from trees, bushes, etc., at a particular time: The pick was poor this season.

27.	Printing. a. a speck of dirt, hardened ink, or extra metal on set type or a plate. b. a small area removed from the surface of a coated paper by ink that adheres to the form.

28.	a stroke with something pointed: The rock shattered at the first pick of the ax.

29.	Basketball. an offensive maneuver in which a player moves into a position between a defend 1d3 er and a teammate with the ball so as to prevent the defender from interfering with the shot.

—Verb phrases

30.	pick at, a. to find fault with unnecessarily or persistently; nag. b. to eat sparingly or daintily: As he was ill, he only picked at his food. c. to grasp at; touch; handle: The baby loved to pick at her mother's glasses.

31.	pick off, a. to remove by pulling or bc2 plucking off. b. to single out and shoot: The hunter picked off a duck rising from the marsh. c. Baseball. to put out (a base runner) in a pick-off play.

32.	pick on, a. Informal. to criticize or blame; tease; harass. b. to single out; choose: The professor always picks on me to translate long passages.

33.

pick out, a. to choose; designate: to pick out one's successor. b. to distinguish from that which surrounds or accompanies; recognize: to pick out a well-known face in a crowd. c. to discern (sense or meaning); discriminate. d. to play (a melody) by ear; work out note by note. e. to extract by picking.

34.	pick over, to examine (an assortment of items) in order to make a selection: Eager shoppers were picking over the shirts on the bargain tables.

35.

pick up, a. to lift or take up: to pick up a stone. b. to collect, esp. in an orderly manner: Pick up the tools when you're finished. c. to recover (one's courage, health, etc.); regain. d. to gain by occasional opportunity; obtain casually: to pick up a livelihood. e. to learn, as by exp 115a erience: I've picked up a few Japanese phrases. f. to claim: to pick up one's bags at an airport. g. to take (a person or thing) into a car or ship, etc., or along with one. h. to bring into range of reception, observation, etc.: to pick up Rome on one's radio. i. to accelerate; gain (speed). j. to put in good order; tidy: to pick up a room. k. to make progress; improve: Business is beginning to pick up. l. to catch or contract, as a disease. m. Informal. to become acquainted with informally or casually, often in hope of a sexual relationship: Let's pick up some dates tonight. n. to resume or continue after being left off: Let's pick up the discussion in our next meeting. o. Informal. to take into custody; arrest: They picked him up for vagrancy. p. Informal. to obtain; find; purchase: She picked up some nice shoes on sale. q. Slang. to steal: to pick up jewels and silver. r. to accept, as in order to pay: to pick up the check.

36.	pick up on, Informal. a. become aware or cognizant of; be perceptive about; notice: to pick up on the hostess's hostility. b. to pay special attention to; keep an eye on: to pick up on a troubled student.

—Idioms

37.	pick and choose, to be very careful or particular in choosing: With such a limited supply of fresh fruit, you won't be able to pick and choose.

38.	pick apart, to criticize severely or in great detail: They picked her apart the moment she left the room.

39.	pick it up, Informal. to move, work, etc., at a faster rate.

40.	pick one's way or steps, to walk with care and deliberation: She picked her way across the muddy field.

41.	pick someone's brains. brain (def. 12).