pick up
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pick up
verb picks up · picking up · picked up
- To lift; to grasp and raise. When you pick up the bag, make sure to support the bottom.
- To collect or purchase an object, especially in passing. Can you pick up a pint of milk on your way home?
- To acquire (something) accidentally; to catch or contract (a disease). I picked up a cold on my trip last week.
- To be caught or accused of wrongdoing, usually criminal charges. He picked up a parole violation last month.
- To clean up; to return to an organized state. You made a mess, aren't you going to pick up after yourself?
- To collect a passenger. I'll pick you up outside the library.
- To collect and detain (a suspect). The cops have picked up the man they were looking for.
- To obtain and publish a story, news item, etc. The story does not seem to have been widely picked up.
- To improve, increase, or speed up. Prices seem to be picking up again.
- To restart or resume. Let's pick up where we left off yesterday.
- To reach and continue along (a road). Walter decided the best route home was to pick up the A5.
- To learn, to grasp; to begin to understand; to realize. It looks complicated, but you'll soon pick it up.
- To receive (a radio signal or the like). With the new antenna, I can pick up stations all the way from Omaha.
- To notice, detect or discern; to pick up on. Did you pick up his nervousness?
- To point out the behaviour, habits, or actions of (a person) in a critical manner; used with on. She's always picking me up on my grammar.
- To meet and seduce somebody for romantic purposes, especially in a social situation. He was in the fabric store not to buy fabric but to pick up women.
- To answer a telephone. I'm calling him, but he just isn't picking up!
- To receive calls; to function correctly. I've tried his home number a couple times, but it isn't picking up.
- To pay for. The company will pick up lunch with customers for sales calls.
- To reduce the despondency of. […]they pick me up when I'm feeling blue
- To take control (physically) of something. Bolton were then just inches from taking the lead, but the dangerous-looking Taylor drilled just wide after picking up a loose ball following Jose Bosingwa's poor attempted clearance.
- To mark, to defend against an opposition player by following them closely. And soon after, no-one picked up Shotton who was free to power a 12-yard header over from another Pennant corner, before Pennant sent a free kick straight at Cardiff keeper Tom Heaton.
- To record; to notch up. And the home side survived without any late scares to pick up the first win of their Group F campaign.
- To behave in a manner that results in a foul.
- To promote somebody who was previously passed over. […] there are now 98 officers of that rank who have been passed over one or more times, most of whom have little prospect of being picked up by future selection boards but will await only the completion of 21 years' service before going on the retired list.
noun pick ups
- Rare form of pickup.pickup
