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A selection or extract from a book; especially (Theol.), a selection from the Bible, appointed to be read in the churches or used as a text for a sermon.

To choose; to select; to separate as choice or desirable; to cull; as, to pick one's company; to pick one's way; -- often with out. "One man picked out of ten thousand." Shak.

Carefully selected; chosen; as, picked men.

taining to the common people, or to the whole body of the people, as distinguished from a select portion; as, the popular voice; popular elections. "Popular states." Bacon. "So the popular vote inclines." Milton. The commonly held in popular estimation are greatest at a distance. J. H. Newman.

A lecture or discourse read in public or to a select company. "The prelections of Faber." Sir M. Hale.

Ore selected for excellence.

A hymn, or other selection, sung during a church procession; as, the processional was the 202d hymn.

Genesis through an internal force, as opposed to natural selection.

by endowment and not carried on chiefly for profit; specif., and commonly, any of various select and usually expensive endowed schools which give a liberal modern education or prepare pupils for the universities. Eton, Harrow, Rugby, and Winchester are of this class.

Originally, a solid exterior angle, as of a building; now, commonly, one of the selected pieces of material by which the corner is marked.

A book containing a selection of extracts for exercises in reading; an elementary book for practice in a language; a reading book.

The art of selecting and combining the stops or registers of an organ.

Constituted, selected, or conducted in conformity with established usages, rules, or discipline; duly authorized; permanently organized; as, a regular meeting; a regular physican; a regular nomination; regular troops.

A chapelet; a garland; a series or collection, as of beautiful thoughts or of literary selections. Every day propound to yourself a rosary or chaplet of good works to present to God at night. Jer. Taylor.

ing run, according to the usual order, conditions, quality, etc.; on the average; without selection or specification. -- To let run (Naut.), to allow to pass or move freely; to slacken or loosen. -- To run after, to pursue or follow; to search for; to endeavor to find or obtain; as to run after similies. Locke. -- T…

Separate; select.

A half chorus; a passage to be sung by a selected portion of the voices, as the female voices only, in contrast with the full choir.

To set apart; to select from among others, as for a special use or service. Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called thaem. Acts xiii. 2. Separated flowers (Bot.), flowers which have stamens and pistils in separate flowers; diclinous flowers. Gray.

nly on difference in number and position of the stamens and pistils of plants. -- Sexual selection (Biol.), the selective preference of one sex for certain characteristics in the other, such as bright colors, musical notes, etc.; also, the selection which results from certain individuals of one sex having more opportu…

de by side, close together and abreast; in company or along with. -- To choose sides, to select those who shall compete, as in a game, on either side. -- To take sides, to attach one's self to, or give assistance to, one of two opposing sides or parties.