pick up

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See also pick-up, and pickup

Contents

English[edit]

Verb[edit]

pick up (third-person singular simple present picks up, present participle picking up, simple past and past participle picked up)

A man attempting to pick up large weights.
  1. (transitive) To lift; to grasp and raise.
    When you pick up the bag, make sure to support the bottom.
  2. (transitive) To collect an object, especially in passing.
    Can you pick up a pint of milk on your way home?
  3. (transitive or intransitive) To clean up; to return to an organized state.
    Aren't you going to pick up after yourself?
    • 1967, Beverly Cleary, Mitch and Amy, 2009 HarperCollins edition, ISBN 9780688108069, page 28:
      The floor was strewn with bright snips of origami paper, a crumpled drawing, and one dirty sock, which Amy now shoved under the bed with her foot.
      "You're lucky," said Marla. "My mother makes me pick up my room every single day."
  4. (transitive) To collect a passenger.
    I'll pick you up outside the library.
  5. (transitive) To collect and detain (a suspect).
    The cops have picked up the man they were looking for.
  6. (intransitive) To improve, increase, or speed up.
    Prices seem to be picking up again.
  7. (intransitive) To restart or resume.
    Let's pick up where we left off yesterday.
    • July 18 2012, Scott Tobias, AV Club The Dark Knight Rises[1]
      Picking up eight years after The Dark Knight left off, the film finds Gotham enjoying a tenuous peace based on Harvey Dent’s moral ideals rather than the ugly truth of his demise.
  8. (transitive) To learn, to grasp; to begin to understand.
    It looks complicated, but you'll soon pick it up.
  9. (transitive) To receive (a radio signal or the like).
    With the new antenna, I can pick up stations all the way from Omaha.
  10. (transitive and intransitive with on, by extension) To notice, detect or discern, often used with "on".
    Did you pick up his nervousness?
    Did you pick up on his nervousness?
  11. (transitive) To point out (a person's behaviour, habits, or actions) in a critical manner.
    She's always picking me up on my grammar
  12. (transitive and intransitive with on) 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.
    She could tell he intended to pick up on her.
    Did you pick up at the party last night?
  13. (transitive or intransitive) To answer a telephone. See pick up the phone.
    I'm calling him, but he just isn't picking up!
  14. To pay for.
    The company will pick up lunch with customers for sales calls.
  15. To reduce the despondency of.
  16. To take control (physically) of something.
    • 2010 December 29, Chris Whyatt, “Chelsea 1 - 0 Bolton”, BBC:
      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.
  17. (soccer) To mark, to defend against an opposition player by following them closely.
    • 2011 January 18, David Dulin, “Cardiff 0 - 2 Stoke”, BBC:
      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.
  18. To record, to notch up
    • 2011 September 28, Tom Rostance, “Arsenal 2 - 1 Olympiakos”, BBC Sport:
      And the home side survived without any late scares to pick up the first win of their Group F campaign.

Translations[edit]

to lift; to grasp and raise
to improve, increase, or speed up
to restart or resume
to collect an object, especially in passing
to collect a passenger
to learn, to grasp; to begin to understand
to receive (a signal)
to notice, detect or discern
to meet and seduce somebody for romantic purposes
to answer (a telephone), see pick up the phone
to pay for
to reduce the despondency of
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

Noun[edit]

pick up (plural pick ups)

  1. (attributive) An impromptu athletic game.
    Rather than join a basketball league, James decided to play pick up.
    At lunch we had a game of pick up hockey.
  2. The act of collecting and taking away something or someone, usually in a vehicle. The time the act occurs.
  3. An instance of approaching someone and engaging in romantic flirtation and courting with the intent to pursue romance, a date, or a sexual encounter. See also pick-up line, pick-up joint, pickup artist.
    Hey, thanks for the drink, but if this is a pick up, I'm not interested.
  4. (US) A pickup truck.
  5. (tennis) A half-volley.
    • 2011 June 28, David Ornstein, “Wimbledon 2011: Victoria Azarenka beats Tamira Paszek in quarters”, BBC Sport:
      The fourth seed was dominating her 20-year-old opponent with a series of stinging groundstrokes and athletic drive-volleys, striking again in game five when Paszek flicked a forehand pick-up into the tramlines.

Alternative forms[edit]

Translations[edit]

A casual athletic game
The act of picking up something or someone
A pickup truck

Derived terms[edit]

Terms derived from the noun or verb pick up
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