Cherry-pick Definition & Meaning

American

British

Usage

Etymology

Examples

cherry-pick American [cher-ee-pik] / ˈtʃɛr iˌpɪk /

verb (used with object)

1. to select with great care.

   Out of the scores of zombie movies, this reviewer has cherry-picked some of the best ones for fans.

2. to select (data, examples, etc.) strategically so as to support a particular view or conclusion.

   The company systematically cherry-picked data to ensure their products passed quality control tests.

verb (used without object)

1. (in retail use) to buy only the sale items and ignore the other merchandise.

cherry-pick British

verb

1. (tr) to choose or take the best or most profitable of (a number of things), esp for one's own benefit or gain

   cherry-pick the best routes

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does cherry-pick mean? To cherry-pick is to choose very carefully. It especially means to select the best of what’s available or being offered.The word sometimes implies that doing so is solely for one’s benefit or gain, or to gain an advantage over others.In the context of research and data, it’s used in a more specific way meaning to selectively choose and present information that supports an existing point of view or hypothesis. This kind of cherry-picking is often unethical.In sports like basketball and soccer (football), cherry-pick means something different: to position oneself away from the main action and most defenders, near the basket or goal, in hopes of being passed the ball and being able to score easily. A person who does this can be called a cherry picker.The term cherry picker can also refer to anyone who cherry-picks in any of the senses of the word. It’s also used in a much more specific way to refer to a kind of crane with a bucket for a person to stand in, especially one mounted on a truck. This kind of cherry picker can be used to lift someone up to heights that can’t be reached by most ladders, such as to trim trees or fix power lines.Cherry-pick is sometimes spelled without a hyphen, as cherry pick.Example: When I was building my computer, I had to cherry-pick the best components from multiple brands to achieve a well-constructed machine.

Etymology

Origin of cherry-pick

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"They will tend to cherry-pick the easiest operations. This potentially leaves the NHS carrying the can."

From BBC

He set out to cherry-pick the absolute worst ones, and was a bit worried that the investment banks would catch on to just how much he knew about specific mortgage bonds, and adjust their prices.

From Literature

"Royal Mail must meet their universal service obligation while trying to compete with private firms who often cherry-pick the most profitable business," says Ms King.

From BBC

Mid-major colleges will never keep their teams together and the big schools will cherry-pick the best players.

From Los Angeles Times

But tragedy doesn’t cherry-pick who or what it affects.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.