1
: chosen from a number or group by fitness or preference
2
3
: judicious or restrictive in choice : discriminating
… pleased with the select appreciation of his books …—Osbert Sitwell
selected; selecting; selects
: to choose (as by fitness or excellence) from a number or group : pick out
: to make a choice
: one that is select
—often plural
plural -s
: one that selects: such as
a
: a person who selects
selector of All-American teams—Current Biography
the selector … knows good-looking merchandise—Women's Wear Daily
edited by an expert librarian selector—Saturday Review
b(1)
: a person who selects Australian public land to settle on
(2)
: a small farmer of Australia
c
: a mechanical or electrical device for automatically selecting predetermined shapes, sizes, or materials or chosen or actuated for starting or stopping (as an elevator)
d(1)
: the element in a transmission gearshift of an automotive vehicle that is guided by the gearshift lever so that the desired gearshift bar is actuated
(2)
: the lever in an automatic gearshift operated by the driver to select the desired speed
e
: a converter with horizontal tuyeres to produce bottoms and a purified copper in one operation
f
: an electric switch mechanism designed to move over a number of terminals and to select a particular one or group in accordance with the signal received
g
h
: an apparatus for operating either or any of two or more railroad signals by a single lever so as automatically to connect the particular signal controlling the route or track for which a switch has been set
Cite this Entry
“Select.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/select. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.
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