"pick out of a hat" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_text": "Referring to the impromptu use of one's hat as a receptacle for drawing paper lots from.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "picks out of a hat",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "picking out of a hat",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "picked out of a hat",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "picked out of a hat",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "pick out of a hat (third-person singular simple present picks out of a hat, present participle picking out of a hat, simple past and past participle picked out of a hat)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "91 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "90 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "94 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To determine by chance, especially by drawing lots."
      ],
      "id": "en-pick_out_of_a_hat-en-verb-ueQxM0pr",
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "draw lots"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "58 42",
          "word": "pick from a hat"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "That number was just picked out of a hat.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To substitute a guess for unavailable data."
      ],
      "id": "en-pick_out_of_a_hat-en-verb--LPTCbhr",
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "pluck from thin air"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-pick out of a hat.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3e/En-au-pick_out_of_a_hat.ogg/En-au-pick_out_of_a_hat.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/En-au-pick_out_of_a_hat.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "pick out of a hat"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English idioms",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Referring to the impromptu use of one's hat as a receptacle for drawing paper lots from.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "picks out of a hat",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "picking out of a hat",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "picked out of a hat",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "picked out of a hat",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "pick out of a hat (third-person singular simple present picks out of a hat, present participle picking out of a hat, simple past and past participle picked out of a hat)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To determine by chance, especially by drawing lots."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "draw lots"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "That number was just picked out of a hat.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To substitute a guess for unavailable data."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "pluck from thin air"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-pick out of a hat.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3e/En-au-pick_out_of_a_hat.ogg/En-au-pick_out_of_a_hat.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/En-au-pick_out_of_a_hat.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "pick from a hat"
    }
  ],
  "word": "pick out of a hat"
}