To pull apart or away, especially with the fingers; to pluck; to gather, as fruit from a tree, flowers from the stalk, feathers from a fowl, etc.

This term describes almost ANY object used to cause the strings to sound. I've seen people use anything from fingers, to plastic picks, to coins, to drumsticks (!) to strike their strings.

a small thin device (of metal or plastic or ivory) used to pluck a stringed instrument

pull lightly but sharply with a plucking motion; "he plucked the strings of his mandolin"

a small, thin piece of wood, plastic, or other material used to play a string instrument such as the guitar

Anything that is used to pluck the strings of an instrument. Most commercially produced picks are flat pieces of plastic or nylon. Some picks (called "finger picks") are designed to fit over the tips of the fingers. Picks come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and thicknesses.