pick up

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The phrase "pick up" is a versatile English verb with many meanings and uses. Let's break it down in a way that's easy to understand!

Basic Meanings:

1. To lift or take something: For example, "I picked up my backpack from the floor."
2. To gather or collect: For example, "She picked up the children from school."
3. To improve or regain energy: For example, "I picked up after taking a short nap."
4. To notice something quickly: For example, "He picked up the smell of cookies baking."
5. To learn or acquire knowledge: For example, "I picked up some Spanish while living in Mexico."

Usage Instructions:

• As a phrasal verb: "Pick up" is often used in sentences where you are doing something with your hands or noticing something.
• In casual conversation: You can use "pick up" to talk about collecting things, improving situations, or learning new information.

Examples:

• Lifting or taking: "Please pick up the trash in the park."
• Improving: "Her mood really picked up after she heard the good news."
• Learning: "I picked up a few new phrases during my trip."

Advanced Usage:

• Catch or perceive: You might say, "The dog picked up the scent of the rabbit."
• Meet someone casually: In a social context, "He tried to pick up someone at the party."
• Signal or reflection: "The fabric picks up the colors around it."

Word Variants:

• Pick (verb): To choose or select something.
• Picked (past tense): The action of having lifted or chosen something.
• Picking (present participle): The ongoing action of lifting or selecting.

Different Meanings:

• Gathering: "I need to pick up more groceries."
• Understanding: "Did you pick up on what he was hinting at?"
• Transportation: "We can pick you up at the airport."

Synonyms:

• Lift: To raise something.
• Collect: To gather items together.
• Acquire: To get or learn something.

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• Pick up the pace: To go faster.
• Pick up the pieces: To recover after a difficult situation.
• Pick up where someone left off: To continue from the same point another person stopped.

Conclusion:

"Pick up" is a very useful phrase in English that can mean many things depending on the context.

Academic

Verb

1. gain or regain energy
   • I picked up after a nap
2. eat by pecking at, like a bird
3. perceive with the senses quickly, suddenly, or momentarily
   • I caught the aroma of coffee
   • He caught the allusion in her glance
   • ears open to catch every sound
   • The dog picked up the scent
   • Catch a glimpse
4. improve significantly; go from bad to good
   • Her performance in school picked up
5. fill with high spirits; fill with optimism
   • Music can uplift your spirits
6. meet someone for sexual purposes
   • he always tries to pick up girls in bars
7. lift out or reflect from a background
   • The scarf picks up the color of the skirt
   • His eyes picked up his smile
8. register (perceptual input)
   • pick up a signal
9. buy casually or spontaneously
   • I picked up some food for a snack
10. take into custody
    • the police nabbed the suspected criminals
11. get in addition, as an increase
    • The candidate picked up thousands of votes after his visit to the nursing home
12. get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally
    • I learned that she has two grown-up children
    • I see that you have been promoted
13. gather or collect
    • You can get the results on Monday
    • She picked up the children at the day care center
    • They pick up our trash twice a week
14. give a passenger or a hitchhiker a lift
    • We picked up a hitchhiker on the highway
15. take up by hand
    • He picked up the book and started to read
16. take and lift upward

Synonyms

• perk up
• perk
• percolate
• gain vigor
• peck
• catch
• turn around
• elate
• lift up
• uplift
• intoxicate
• receive
• collar
• nail
• apprehend
• arrest
• nab
• cop
• learn
• hear
• get word
• get wind
• find out
• get a line
• discover
• see
• collect
• gather up
• call for