pick one's nose

verb

To insert a finger or other object into one's nostril to remove obstructions, especially dried mucus.

“You can pick your friends; you can pick your nose; but you can't pick your friends' noses.”

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Meanings

verbpick one's nose (third-person singular simple present picks one's nose, present participle picking one's nose, simple past and past participle picked one's nose)

present singular third person picks one's nose · participle present picking one's nose · participle past picked one's nose · past picked one's nose

  1. idiomaticTo insert a finger or other object into one's nostril to remove obstructions, especially dried mucus.

    You can pick your friends; you can pick your nose; but you can't pick your friends' noses.

Translations

Arabic دَخَّلَ إِصْبَعَهُ فِي أَنْفِهِ
  • دَخَّلَ إِصْبَعَهُ فِي أَنْفِهِ (daḵḵala ʔiṣbaʕahu fī ʔanfihi)insert a finger into one's nostril
Catalan fer burilles
  • fer burillesinsert a finger into one's nostril
Chinese Cantonese 撩鼻屎
  • 撩鼻屎 (liu¹ bei⁶ si², liu² bei⁶ si²)insert a finger into one's nostril
Chinese Mandarin 挖鼻子, 摳鼻子 /抠鼻子
  • 挖鼻子 (wābízi)insert a finger into one's nostril
  • 摳鼻子 /抠鼻子 (kōubízi)insert a finger into one's nostril
  • 挖鼻 (wābí)insert a finger into one's nostril
Czech dloubat se v nose
  • dloubat se v noseinsert a finger into one's nostril
Danish pille næse
  • pille næseinsert a finger into one's nostril
Dutch pulken, neuspeuteren
  • pulkeninsert a finger into one's nostril
  • neuspeutereninsert a finger into one's nostril
Finnish kaivaa nenäänsä
  • kaivaa nenäänsäinsert a finger into one's nostril
French se curer le nez, se mettre le doigt dans le nez
  • se curer le nezinsert a finger into one's nostril
  • se mettre le doigt dans le nezinsert a finger into one's nostril
  • fourrer son doigt dans son nezinsert a finger into one's nostril
German in der Nase bohren, in der Nase herumbohren
  • in der Nase bohreninsert a finger into one's nostril
  • in der Nase herumbohreninsert a finger into one's nostril
  • sich in der Nase puleninsert a finger into one's nostril
  • popelninsert a finger into one's nostril
Greek σκαλίζω τη μύτη μου
  • σκαλίζω τη μύτη μου (skalízo ti mýti mou)insert a finger into one's nostril
Hebrew חיטט באף
  • חיטט באףinsert a finger into one's nostril
Hungarian túrja az orrát, orrot túr
  • túrja az orrátinsert a finger into one's nostril
  • orrot túrinsert a finger into one's nostril
  • bányászikinsert a finger into one's nostril
Icelandic bora í nefið
  • bora í nefiðinsert a finger into one's nostril
Indonesian mengupil, ngupil
  • mengupilinsert a finger into one's nostril
  • ngupilinsert a finger into one's nostril
Italian mettersi le dita nel naso, scaccolare
  • mettersi le dita nel nasoinsert a finger into one's nostril
  • scaccolareinsert a finger into one's nostril
  • scaccolarsiinsert a finger into one's nostril
Japanese 鼻を穿る, 鼻をほじくる
  • 鼻を穿る (hana o hojiru)insert a finger into one's nostril
  • 鼻をほじくる (hana o hojikuru)insert a finger into one's nostril
Korean 코를 파다
  • 코를 파다 (koreul pada)insert a finger into one's nostril
Norwegian plukke nesen
  • plukke neseninsert a finger into one's nostril
Persian دست تو دماغ کردن
  • دست تو دماغ کردنinsert a finger into one's nostril
Polish dłubać w nosie
  • dłubać w nosieinsert a finger into one's nostril
Portuguese cutucar o nariz, limpar o salão
  • cutucar o narizinsert a finger into one's nostril
  • limpar o salãoinsert a finger into one's nostril
Romanian se scobi în nas
  • se scobi în nasinsert a finger into one's nostril
Russian ковыря́ть в носу́, ковыря́ться в носу́
  • ковыря́ть в носу́ (kovyrjátʹ v nosú)insert a finger into one's nostril
  • ковыря́ться в носу́ (kovyrjátʹsja v nosú)insert a finger into one's nostril
  • колупа́ться в носу́ (kolupátʹsja v nosú)insert a finger into one's nostril
Spanish hurgarse la nariz, hacer píldoras
  • hurgarse la narizinsert a finger into one's nostril
  • hacer píldorasinsert a finger into one's nostril
  • meterse el dedo en/a la narizinsert a finger into one's nostril
Swedish peta näsan, peta i näsan
  • peta näsaninsert a finger into one's nostril
  • peta i näsaninsert a finger into one's nostril
  • peta sig i näsaninsert a finger into one's nostril
Tagalog mangulangot
  • mangulangotinsert a finger into one's nostril
Tamil மூக்கை நோண்டு
  • மூக்கை நோண்டு (mūkkai nōṇṭu)insert a finger into one's nostril
Ukrainian колупа́ти в но́сі, до́вбати в но́сі
  • колупа́ти в но́сі (kolupáty v nósi)insert a finger into one's nostril
  • до́вбати в но́сі (dóvbaty v nósi)insert a finger into one's nostril
Vietnamese ngoáy mũi, cạy rỉ mũi
  • ngoáy mũiinsert a finger into one's nostril
  • cạy rỉ mũiinsert a finger into one's nostril
Cite this entry
APA

pick one's nose. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pick%20one's%20nose

MLA

“pick one's nose.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pick%20one's%20nose. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pick one's nose,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pick%20one's%20nose.

Source: pick one's nose on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.