pick up
Definition of pick up
transitive verb
1a : to take hold of and lift upb : to gather together : collect picked up all the piecesc : to clean up : tidy
2 : to take (passengers or freight) into a vehicle
3a : to acquire casually or by chance picked up a valuable antique at an auctionb : to acquire by study or experience : learn picking up a great deal of knowledge in the process — Robert Schleicherc : to obtain especially by payment : buy picked up some groceriesd : to acquire (a player) especially from another team through a trade or by financial recompensee : to accept for the purpose of paying offered to pick up the tabf : to come down with : catch picked up a coldg : gain, earn picked up a few yards on the last play picked up her first victory
4a : to enter informally into conversation or companionship with (a previously unknown person) had a brief affair with a girl he picked up in a barb : to take into custody the police picked up the fugitive
5a : to catch sight of : perceive picked up the harbor lightsb : to come to and follow picked up the outlaw's trailc : to bring within range of sight or hearing pick up distant radio signalsd : understand, catch didn't pick up the hint
7 : to resume after a break : continue pick up the discussion tomorrow
8 : to assume responsibility for guarding (an opponent) in an athletic contest
intransitive verb
pick up on
From the M-W Editors
Examples of pick up in a Sentence
he has a knack for picking up a language in a few weeks
pick up all of your things because we have to be off this beach before dark
First Known Use of pick up
14th century
Learn More about pick up
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pick up Spanish Central: Translation of pick up Nglish: Translation of pick up for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of pick up for Arabic speakers
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