Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

pick-nits

verb

/pɪk nɪts/

Definition

To remove nits (lice eggs) from someone’s hair or to find faults in something.

Examples

The teacher was known to pick-nits in students’ essays, focusing on small grammatical mistakes.
During our meeting, she started to pick-nits in my presentation, pointing out every little error.
They spent hours picking nits after realizing the infestation in their daughter’s hair.

Meaning

The phrase ‘pick-nits’ typically refers to the act of meticulously inspecting hair to remove nits, but it is often used metaphorically to indicate finding minor faults or details in a situation or work.