pick up

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Jump to: navigation, search
See also pick-up, and pickup

Contents

[edit] English

[edit] Verb

Infinitive
to pick up

Third person singular
picks up

Simple past
picked up

Past participle
picked up

Present participle
picking up

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

  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?
    • 1971-1977, "Or", The Electric Company
      Bayn Johnson: Pick up you room
      June Angela: or you can't have a snack.
  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.
  8. (transitive) To learn, to grasp; to begin to understand.
    It looks complicated, but you'll soon pick it up.
  9. (of a radio signal, etc.) To receive.
    With the new antenna, I can pick up stations all the way from Omaha.
  10. (transitive, 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) To meet and seduce somebody for romantic purposes, especially in a social situation, sometimes used with "on".
    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.
  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.

[edit] Translations

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
Of a signal, to receive
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
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
  • Spanish: pepenar (Central America, Mexico)

[edit] Noun

Singular
pick up

Plural
pick ups

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 picking up something or someone.
  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.

[edit] Alternative spellings

[edit] Translations

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

[edit] Related terms

Retrieved from "http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pick_up"