[pick up] {v.}
1. To take up; lift.
* /During the morning Mrs. Carter picked up sticks in the yard./
2. {informal} To pay for someone else.
* /After lunch, in the restaurant, Uncle Bob picked up the check./
3. To take on or away; receive; get.
* /At the next corner the bus stopped and picked up three people./
4. To get from different places at different times; a little at a time; collect.
* /He had picked up rare coins in seaports all over the world./
5. To get without trying; get accidentally.
* /He picked up knowledge of radio just by staying around the radio station./* /Billy picked up a cold at school./
6a. To gather together; collect.
* /When the carpenter finished making the cabinet, he began picking up his tools./
6b. To make neat and tidy; tidy up; put in order.
* /Pick up your room before Mother sees it./
6c. To gather things together; tidy a place up.
* /It's almost dinner time, children. Time to pick up and get ready./
7. To catch the sound of.
* /He picked up Chicago on the radio./
8. To get acquainted with (someone) without an introduction; make friends with (a person of the other sex).
* /Mother told Mary not to walk home by herself from the party because some stranger might try to pick her up./
9. {informal} To take to the police station or jail; arrest.
* /Police picked the man up for burglary./
10. To recognize the trail of a hunted person or animal; find.
* /State police picked up the bandit's trail./* /The dogs picked up the fox's smell./
11. To make (someone) feel better; refresh.
* /A little food will pick you up./
12a. To increase (the speed); make (the speed) faster.
* /The teacher told her singing class to pick up the tempo./* /The car picked up speed./
12b. To become faster; become livelier.
* /The speed of the train began to pick up./
* /After the band practiced for a while, the music began to pick up./
13. To start again after interruption; go on with.
* /The class picked up the story where they had left it before the holiday./* /They met after five years, and picked up their friendship as if there had been no interruption./
14. {informal} To become better; recover; gain.
* /She picked up in her schoolwork./* /He picked up gradually after a long illness./* /His spirits picked up as he came near home./
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