1
general::
pick over sth
to look carefully at a group of things, choosing the ones you want or getting rid of the ones you do not want
• All the clothes at the sale had been thoroughly picked over and there was nothing nice left., pick sth up
[ M ] BUY
3. to buy something cheaply
• She picked up some real bargains in the sale., pick sb up on sth
to criticize someone about something they have said
• "I want to pick you up on the point you made a few minutes ago about personal morality, Archbishop."
• His teacher picked him up on his pronunciation., pick up
[ I or T ] INCREASE
1. to increase or improve
• The truck picked up speed slowly.
• The wind always picks up in the evening.
• The number of applicants will pick up during the autumn.
• His spirits picked up when he got the good news.
• Her career only began to pick up when she was in her forties., pick up
[ I or T ] TELEPHONE
2. to answer the telephone
• I tried his home number but he didn't pick up., pick sth up
[ M ] SIGNAL
5. (of a piece of electrical equipment) to receive a signal
• Can you pick up (= receive broadcasts from) Moscow on your radio?, pick sb/sth off
[ M ] SHOOT
1. to shoot at one particular person, animal or vehicle which you have chosen from a group
• The snipers picked the soldiers off one by one as they ran for cover., pick up on sth
NOTICE
2. to notice something that other people have not noticed
• Only one newspaper picked up on the minister's statement., pick sb/sth up
[ M ] LIFT
1. to lift someone or something using your hands
• If she starts to cry, pick her up and give her a cuddle.
• I picked up the kids' clothes that were lying on the floor.
• I went to pick up the phone/receiver, but it had stopped ringing., pick sb/sth up
[ M ] COLLECT
2. to collect, or to go and get, someone or something
• When you're in town could you pick up the books I ordered?
• Whose turn is it to pick the children up after school?
• The crew of the sinking tanker were picked up (= saved from the sea) by helicopter., pick sth up
[ M ] LEARN
1. to learn a new skill or language by practising it rather than being taught it
• Don't bother with the computer manual - you'll pick it up as you go along.
• When you live in a country you soon pick up the language., pick sb/sth out
[ M ] EMPHASIZE
2. to choose and emphasize, make clearer or highlight someone or something
• The ship's name was picked out in bright gold letters along her stern., pick sth up
[ M ] NOTICE
6. to notice and react to something
• Police dogs picked up the scent of the two men from clothes they had left behind., pick on sb
to criticize, punish or be unkind to the same person often and unfairly
• He gets picked on by the other boys because he's so small.
• Why don't you pick on someone your own size ?, pick at sth
disapproving
to eat only a little bit of your food, showing no interest or enjoyment while you eat it
• Charles picked at his food in a bored fashion., pick sb up
[ M ] MEET
2. informal to start a sexual or romantic relationship with someone you do not know, by talking to them and giving them a lot of attention
• He said he'd picked the woman up in a bar., pick sb/sth off
[ M ] TAKE THE BEST
2. to take the best person or thing from a group
• It is relatively easy for newcomers to pick off the most lucrative business and ignore the rest., pick sb/sth out
[ M ] RECOGNIZE
1. to recognize, find or make a choice among different people or things in a group
• Can you pick out the three deliberate mistakes in this paragraph?
• The critics picked him out as the outstanding male dancer of the decade., pick sth up
[ M ] ILLNESS
7. to catch an illness from someone or something, caused by bacteria or a virus
• He picked up malaria when he was visiting the country on business., pick sb up
[ M ] POLICE
1. UK informal (of the police) to stop someone and take them to a police station in order to question them or arrest them
• He was picked up by the police for drug dealing.
• The police picked her up just outside Canterbury., pick sth up
[ M ] LEARN
2. to learn interesting or useful information from someone or something
• The nurse had picked up the information from a conversation she overheard., pick sth up
[ M ] WIN
4. to win or get a prize or something that gives you an advantage, such as votes or support
• The People's Front expect to pick up a lot more votes in this year's elections., pick sth out
[ M ]
If you pick out a tune, you play it slowly or with difficulty, note by note
• I can pick out a simple tune on the piano, but that's about it., pick up on sth
RETURN
1. to start talking again about something that someone said previously
• Can I just pick up on your first point again, please?, pick (sth) up
[ M ]
to start again after an interruption; to return to something
• The author picks the same theme up again on page ten.
• After lunch shall we pick up where we left off yesterday?
Cambridge-Phrasal Verbs
3
general::
noun VERB + PICK have She had her pick of the single men. | take Which do you want? Take your pick. PHRASES get/take first pick I got the first pick of the prizes because I was the oldest., verb choose sb/sth ADV. at random Names were picked at random out of a hat. | out He was picked out as the best player. PREP. as They picked Jane as the captain. | for Have you been picked for the team? take sth from the place where it is growing PHRASES freshly picked freshly picked strawberries PHRASAL VERBS pick sth up ADV. carefully, gingerly Rather gingerly, George picked up the tiny bundle. | idly I idly picked up a magazine and flicked through it. VERB + PICK try to | bend to, stoop to PREP. by He picked the pan up carefully by the handle. | from, off She stooped to pick the book up off the floor.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary