English

A SNES controller with a two gray buttons in the middle, one of them being Select.

Noun

Select ‎(plural Selects)

1. A button (of a joystick, joypad or similar device) that, when pressed, activates any of certain predefined functions that usually, but not always, involve selecting something out of a list of items.

English

Adjective

select ‎(comparative more select, superlative most select)

1. Privileged, specially selected.

   Only a select few were allowed into the premiere.‎

   • Thomas Macaulay (1800-1859)

     A few select spirits had separated from the crowd, and formed a fit audience round a far greater teacher.

   • 1893, Walter Besant, The Ivory Gate, chapter III:

     At half-past nine on this Saturday evening, the parlour of the Salutation Inn, High Holborn, contained most of its customary visitors. […] In former days every tavern of repute kept such a room for its own select circle, a club, or society, of habitués, who met every evening, for a pipe and a cheerful glass.

2. Of high quality; top-notch.

   This is a select cut of beef.‎

Verb

select ‎(third-person singular simple present selects, present participle selecting, simple past and past participle selected)

1. To choose one or more elements of a set, especially a set of options.

   He looked over the menu, and selected the roast beef.

   The program computes all the students' grades, then selects a random sample for human verification.

2. (databases) To obtain a set of data from a database using a query.

Synonyms

• (to choose): choose, opt

Related terms

• elect
• election
• elective
• elite
• selection
• selective

Translations

Anagrams

• elects