American Dictionary
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to lift someone or something up from a surface
He picked the phone up as soon as it rang.
She rushed to pick up the baby as soon as it started to cry.
to lift things up and put them in the place where they are kept in order to make a place neat
I've already asked them to pick their toys up.
I am constantly picking up the things the children leave lying around.
to make a place clean and neat
to lift something up and take it away
Pick up a pamphlet for me too.
to go and meet someone or something that you have arranged to take somewhere in a vehicle
Will you pick me up after the party?
I need to pick up my luggage before leaving.
to arrest someone and take them away in a car
He was picked up in the early hours of Thursday morning.
to take someone who is waiting by the road into your vehicle and take them somewhere
We picked up a hitchhiker on the way.
to learn a new skill or start a habit without intending to
She picked up a few German phrases while staying in Berlin.
to get an illness
Most tourists are worried that they'll pick up a nasty stomach bug.
to buy something
a market where you can pick up some amazing bargains
to receive an electronic signal on a radio or similar piece of equipment
I don't think this thing can pick up foreign stations.
to earn money
the huge salaries that professional athletes pick up these days
to win something such as a prize
The movie is tipped to pick up at least three Oscars.
to notice a smell or sound, or to notice that someone or something is present
The dogs must have picked up his scent.
to start talking to someone because you want to have sex with them
She went home with some man she picked up at a bar.
to start something again, from the point where you stopped
We'll pick up this conversation later.
He seems to think that we can get back together and just pick up where we left off.
to improve
They won't let him out of the hospital until his health has picked up.
if something such as the wind picks up, it becomes stronger
if something picks up speed, it starts to move faster
to pay for something
Her father picks up the tab for her expensive lifestyle.
to try to return to a normal life after a difficult experience
He walked out on his family, leaving his wife to pick up the pieces.
to return to a situation that existed before something went wrong
After the death of a partner, it can be difficult to pick up the threads of your life.
to recover from a fall or problem
Nobody knows if Jim will ever pick himself up after his wife left him.
