pick up (
http://definr.com/pick up)
v 1: take and lift upward [syn:
lift up,
gather up]
2: take up by hand; "He picked up the book and started to read"
3: give a passenger or a hitchhiker a lift
4: gather or collect; "You can get the results on Monday";
"She picked up the children at the day care center" [syn:
collect,
gather up,
call for]
5: 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" [syn:
learn,
hear,
get word,
get wind,
find out,
get a line,
discover,
see]
6: get in addition, as an increase; "The candidate picked up
thousands of votes after his visit to the nursing home"
7: take into custody, as of suspected criminals, by the police
[syn:
collar,
nail,
apprehend,
arrest,
nab,
cop]
8: buy casually or spontaneously; "I picked up some food for a
snack"
9: of perceptual input: receive a signal, receive news, receive
a verdict, etc. [syn:
receive]
10: lift out or reflect from a background, as of a color; "The
scarf picks up the color of the skirt"; "His eyes picked
up his smile"
11: meet someone for sexual purposes
12: fill with high spirits; fill with optimism [syn:
elate, {lift
up},
uplift,
intoxicate] [ant:
depress]
13: get better; "Her performance in school picked up" [syn: {turn
around}]
14: 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" [syn:
catch]
15: eat by pecking at; of birds [syn:
peck]
16: gain or regain energy [syn:
perk up,
perk,
percolate,
gain vigor]