"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": "86 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "81 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "81 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "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": "64 36",
          "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",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "pick out of a hat"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
    "English idioms",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "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",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "pick from a hat"
    }
  ],
  "word": "pick out of a hat"
}