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If you are wearing jeans and brush up against a thorn bush, the fabric may be damaged by a thorn hooking on the fabric and pulling one or more threads away from the surface of the fabric, leaving a small exposed loop of thread extruding from the cloth.

Among my family we use the term "pick" to refer to instances of this kind of damage (e.g., "my pants have a few picks in them after falling into that thorn bush"), but I do not see this usage covered in any online dictionaries.

Is there another word for this, or are the dictionaries missing a definition?

I am not looking for words that describe rips or tears. It is specifically the kind of damage described above, where one or more loops of thread are pulled.

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The word you're looking for is 'snag' (either the verb 'to snag', or as a noun, 'a snag').

The Cambridge Online Dictionary describes the verb:

If you snag something, it becomes caught on a sharp object and tears (eg 'be careful not to snag your sweater on the rose bushes').

The noun is:

a tear, hole, or loose fiber in a piece of clothing or cloth caused by a sharp or rough object.

It can also be used for a pulled thread or stitch, rather than for a hole or rip. A US example of this use is on the Martha Stewart website, where it says:

Don't Panic! Here's How to Fix a Snagged Thread

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  • That definition would work, although the word I'm looking for is specifically for the case of a "loose fiber", and not a hole or tear.
    – Stewart
    Commented Nov 30, 2018 at 13:01
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    @Stewart: I've just amended my answer to give an example of it being used in exactly the way you describe.
    – Kiloran_speaking
    Commented Nov 30, 2018 at 13:08
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Kiloran_speaking has given the best term most people would refer to the loop or a loose thread on clothing as a snagged loop or snagged tread, however to allow for those that use the alternative term. The two are often synonymous

I am offering "pull" or "pulled loop" or pulled thread as used here

"a snag is just a pulled loop in the knitted pattern"

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In my family we call it a 'loose thread'.
Edited to clarify: This is what this type of damage is referred to, due to the result. It is called this when it is damaged by this method, or by another method.

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  • There can be many other reasons for loose threads, though, including regular wear and tear.
    – Janus Bahs Jacquet
    Commented Nov 30, 2018 at 14:13
  • Despite the fact that this damage can be caused by other methods, it would still be called 'loose thread' in the OP's thorn example. Edited to clarify.
    – Bethany
    Commented Nov 30, 2018 at 14:31
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"Pierced", Such as "I pierced my clothing or pierced my skin." "I pierced the toast."

https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/pierce

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  • Thank you for your effort. This question was flagged by the system, mainly because it's very short. A Stack Exchange answer is lengthy enough to show that it is right. It gives explanation and context. Whatever would make it the right answer, not just an idea or suggestion.
    – MetaEd
    Commented Nov 30, 2018 at 15:59

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