| 单词 | to pick up |
| 释义 | > as lemmasto pick up to pick up 1. a. transitive. To take up with the fingers or beak; to lay hold of and take up (esp. a small object) from the ground or any low position; to lift lightly, smartly, or neatly; (occasionally more generally) to gather.to pick up one's crumbs: see crumb n. 4. ΘΚΠ the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > upward movement > raising > make to go up or cause to rise [verb (transitive)] > lift or take up > from the ground or a low position uptakea1300 to pick upc1330 win up1362 to gather upa1400 α. β. c1330 in T. Wright Polit. Songs Eng. (1839) 334 He doth the wif sethe a chapoun and piece beof..The best he piketh up himself and maketh his mawe touht.1556 J. Ponet Shorte Treat. Politike Power sig. E He him self..was forced to pike vp cromes vnder the table, as he hade forced the other kinges.1580 T. Churchyard Pleasaunte Laborinth: Churchyardes Chance f. 30v The greatest nomber haue..roulm enough at will, Where thei maie grosly pike vp cromes, or feede on grasse their fill.1539 R. Taverner Garden of Wysdom sig. C.viii He wolde dryue them all awaye, as byrdes that pycke vp seedes in the fylde with one stone. c1555 Manifest Detection Diceplay sig. Bvi He wil refuse no labor, nor leaue no stone vnturned, to pick vp a penny vnderneth. 1620 tr. G. Boccaccio Decameron II. viii. iii. f. 63v He..hath lefte vs to picke vp blacke stones, vpon the parching plaines of Mugnone. 1639 Deloney's Gentile Craft: 2nd Pt. (rev. ed.) ii. iii. sig. D2v We will returne to the Maids that were so busie in picking up hearbs in the fields. 1690 J. Locke Two Treat. Govt. ii. iv. 246 The Acorns he pickt up under an Oak..in the Wood. 1711 E. Budgell Spectator No. 77. ⁋1 Will. had picked up a small Pebble. 1774 O. Goldsmith Hist. Earth V. 338 Its common food should be mixed with ants, so that when the bird goes to pick the ants it may pick up some of that also. 1809 J. Roland Amateur of Fencing 99 Pick up his foil and deliver it politely to him. 1861 C. Dickens Tom Tiddler's Ground i, in All Year Round Extra Christmas No., 12 Dec. 1/1 He scatters halfpence to Tramps and such-like..and of course they pick 'em up. 1898 Spectator 3 Dec. 837 The broken cable of 1865 was picked up and repaired. 1925 F. S. Fitzgerald Great Gatsby vii. 170 Picking up Wilson like a doll, Tom carried him into the office. 1947 G. Vidal In Yellow Wood i. ii. 26 She picked up the plates from his table and put them on the tray. 1994 S. Dawson Forsytes (1996) i. xii. 251 Desultorily she picked up the lighter, and toyed with it. b. transitive. To catch and take up (a loop of thread or dropped stitch) on a knitting needle or similar implement. Also figurative. ΚΠ 1704 J. Swift Tale of Tub vi. 128 Resolving therefore to rid his Coat of a huge Quantity of Gold Lace; he pickt up the Stitches with much Caution, and diligently gleaned out all the loose Threads. 1850 E. C. Gaskell Let. Aug. (1966) 128 Since we came home, we have all been ‘picking up our dropped stiches’ of work in various ways. 1858 ‘G. Eliot’ Amos Barton i, in Scenes Clerical Life I. 16 ‘Yes,’ said Mrs Hackit, stooping towards the candle to pick up a stitch. 1880 L. S. Floyer Plain Hints Examiners Needlework 32 Pick up the side loops for right-hand gusset, cast on the same number of loops as were on the needle before the heel began to be turned (28), and pick up the loops for the left-hand gusset. 1906 A. G. I. Christie Embroidery & Tapestry Weaving ix. 197 The stitches are picked up in some regular order, so that they form various geometrical patterns over the surface. 1944 A. Thirkell Headmistress iii. 60 They..had to take off all the stitches and unravel back to where they ought to have begun increasing and pick up all the stitches again. 2002 Spin-off Winter 63/2 As I knitted, I picked up a body stitch on every other border row and knitted it together with a border stitch. c. transitive (reflexive). To get up from a fall, etc., esp. quickly or without difficulty. In extended use: to recover. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > posture > action of standing up or rising > rise [verb (reflexive)] > again redressa1400 to pick up1730 1730 T. Cibber Lover i. i. 9 I..laid him slap on his Back... Where I laid him, I left him, to pick himself up at Leisure. 1767 Babler I. 73 I laid hold of an officer's skirt..and held it with such a force, that I dragged him with me down... As soon as possible I picked myself up. 1846 Ladies' Repository Oct. 315/2 He..went all sprawling under... While he was picking himself up, the ducks escaped. 1872 Punch 29 June 269/1 The process of pulling myself together and picking myself up. 1909 L. M. Montgomery Anne of Avonlea xii. 122 When she picked herself up, her face, stained with coal dust, sent the boys into roars of laughter. 1975 New Yorker 1 Dec. 55/2 There is no way a losing candidate can pick himself up and pretend nothing has happened to him. 2002 Daily Express (E. Malaysia) 21 Nov. 17/2 The broader Topix index of all first section issues picked itself up from an 18-year low the previous day to gain 13.73 points to 830.82. d. transitive. figurative. to pick up the pieces: to restore one's life or a situation to a more normal state after a shock or disaster. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > amending > restoration > restoration of a person > recovery from misfortune, error, etc. > [verb (intransitive)] > retrieve one's losses to pick up the pieces1838 1838 J. C. Neal Charcoal Sketches 192 It was jist like an omnibus: I was a passenger... S'posing the omnibus got upset—well, I walks off, and leaves the man to pick up the pieces. 1858 R. B. Brough Siege of Troy 44 Homer. Ilion has fallen. Let's pick up the pieces! 1865 C. Dickens Our Mutual Friend II. iv. viii. 225 You'll force me to run away from you, after all, you will; and then you'll shake to bits and there'll be nobody to pick up the pieces! 1912 R. Kipling in London Mag. Mar. 11/1 I should have said it was half a night. Now, shall we go down and pick up the pieces? 1951 J. C. Fennessy Sonnet in Bottle v. iv. 163 Injy was very good at taking things as they came. But he generally found it was his job to pick up the pieces afterwards. 1977 R. Perry Dead End i. 12 If anything does go wrong it'll be nice having you around to pick up the pieces. 2001 Wall St. Jrnl. 15 Oct. a22/2 Years of warfare have set an already poor country back to ground zero and either killed or driven into exile the people most capable of picking up the pieces. e. transitive. To lift (the feet) clear of the ground, as when walking. ΚΠ 1860 W. D. O'Connor Harrington 25 Now pick up yer feet for the house. Yer master has to settle with yer. 1880 R. D. Blackmore in Harper's Mag. June 128/2 The beginning of the wintry time, such as makes a strong man pick his feet up, and a healthy boy start an imaginary slide. 1909 J. C. Lincoln Keziah Coffin vii. 122 The horse was wading above its knees... ‘Pick up your feet, shipmate,’ commanded Nat. 1996 I. Bamforth Open Workings 91 You pick up your feet and begin to run. f. intransitive. In game-shooting: (of a dog) to make a retrieval. Also: to collect unretrieved game after a shooting party. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > hunting > shooting > shoot [verb (intransitive)] > collect shot game to pick up1888 1827 R. Cobbold Valentine Verses 166 Go pick her up, boy, take the hare.] 1888 W. B. Leffingwell Wild Fowl Shooting xxxvi. 364 After the pup has gotten to understand your orders of picking up, and bringing the glove to you from short distances, throw it farther. 1976 Shooting Times & Country Mag. 16 Dec. 20/2 My immediate neighbours..did help pick up and I am happy to say the count, if nothing else, was quite gratifying. 1995 Field Mar. 35/2 Just two days previously she was picking-up with her own team of three [labradors]. g. intransitive. Australian and New Zealand. To gather a shorn fleece from the floor of the shearing shed, preparatory to placing it on a table for trimming, grading, etc. ΚΠ 1862 J. G. Walker Jrnl. Voy. N.Z. 10 Nov. (typescript) 24 My job at first was picking up fleeces.] 1900 H. Lawson Verses Pop. & Humorous 146 I'm just in from west the Darling, ‘picking-up’ and ‘rolling wool’. 1926 J. Devanny Butcher Shop i. 11 The naked feet of the brown women ‘picking up’ from the shining greasy floor. 1967 J. Morrison in Coast to Coast 1965–6 157 He'd been away picking-up in the shearing sheds. h. intransitive. Golf. To pick up one's ball, rather than completing a hole. ΚΠ 1906 Times 19 Mar. 7/4 The 6th hole, where Mr. Barry picked up, and his opponent did not play out. 1927 Observer Sept. 24/2 Taylor's score being impossible to register as he picked up at two holes. 2003 Ledger (Lakeland, Florida) (Nexis) 12 Jan. c2 Don't be reluctant to pick up on a bad hole. i. transitive. colloquial (originally U.S.). To pay (a bill, account, etc.), esp. one which others might have been expected to share or take responsibility for; esp. in to pick up the bill (also check, tab, etc.). Also figurative. ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > payment > pay [verb (intransitive)] > pay expenses to pay the piper1681 to stand the racket1789 to stand shot1821 to stand Sam1823 to pick up the bill (also check, tab, etc.)1914 1914 G. Ade Ade's Fables 25 The usual Battle as to which should pick up the Check and the same old Compromise. A Dutch Treat with Waitress trying to spread it four ways. 1945 Sun (Baltimore) 23 Oct. 1/4 A Washington ‘lobbyist’ who, he was informed, picked up the $75,000 check which paid for the festivities. 1966 ‘M. Brewer’ Man against Fear vii. 77 Tonight we pick up her bill. 1978 Daily Tel. 13 Feb. 6/5 Ratepayers would have to pick up the bill if important jobs were transferred from the county councils to some of the larger districts. 2001 High Plains Jrnl. 16 Apr. b24/2 US farmers cannot be expected to pick up the tab for a wrongheaded shortsighted US biotech policy. j. intransitive. Of a person or an answering machine: to answer a telephone call. ΚΠ 1979 ‘W. Allen’ & M. Brickman Manhattan in Four Films W. Allen (1982) 255 Mary, hi. It's Yale. I was hoping you'd pick up. 1980 N.Y. Times 13 July f3/2 With ‘call screening’..the owner can sit at home, listen to the phone ring and wait to hear the caller's voice before deciding whether to pick up or not. 1992 B. Gill Death of Love xxiii. 327 I'm going to keep ringing this fecker until you pick up. 1999 M. Bank Girls' Guide to Hunting & Fishing 102 After a while, I didn't answer the phone anymore. I let my machine pick up. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > industry > earth-moving, etc. > [verb (transitive)] to pick upc1400 society > occupation and work > industry > earth-moving, etc. > [verb (intransitive)] > dig or excavate gravea1000 delvec1000 wrootc1325 minec1330 gruba1350 sinkc1358 undermine1382 diga1387 spit1393 to pick upc1400 holk1513 graff1532 pion1643 excavate1843 throw1843 crow1853 spade1869 society > occupation and work > industry > earth-moving, etc. > [verb (intransitive)] > other specific processes to pick upc1400 forestop1747 cut-and-fill1904 bulldoze1944 pick1997 the world > food and drink > farming > cultivation or tillage > breaking up land > break up land [verb (transitive)] > with pick to pick upc1400 stock1802 α. β. c1400 (a1376) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Trin. Cambr. R.3.14) (1960) A. vii. 103 (MED) And summe to plese perkyn pykide [v.rr. pykeden, pykened, pekede, pikyn] vp þe wedis.1580 T. Tusser Fiue Hundred Pointes Good Husbandrie (new ed.) f. 16v A pike for to pike them [sc. fitchis] vp, handsom to drie.γ. a1475 (a1376) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Harl. 3954) (1960) A. vii. l. 103 Þei pekede [c1400 Trin. Cambr. Summe to plese perkyn pykide vp þe wedis].1886 C. Scott Pract. Sheep-farming 69 A handy turnip hoe or picker, for picking up the shells of the roots. 1894 Times 21 May 4/4 A gang of men was sent..to pick up and relay the part of Onslow-gardens. 3. transitive. a. Originally (Military): to capture, seize (a soldier, an enemy vessel, etc.). Later more generally (colloquial): to take into custody, apprehend; (now) spec. to arrest. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > operations or manoeuvres > perform operation or manoeuvre [verb (transitive)] > capture or seize as prize prizea1500 to make prize (of)1597 to pick up1687 society > law > administration of justice > general proceedings > arrest > [verb (transitive)] at-holda1230 attacha1325 resta1325 takec1330 arrest1393 restay?a1400 tachec1400 seisinc1425 to take upa1438 stowc1450 seize1471 to lay (also set, clap, etc.) (a person) by the heels?1515 deprehend1532 apprehend1548 nipa1566 upsnatcha1566 finger1572 to make stay of1572 embarge1585 cap1590 reprehend1598 prehenda1605 embar1647 nap1665 nab1686 bone1699 roast1699 do1784 touch1785 pinch1789 to pull up1799 grab1800 nick1806 pull1811 hobble1819 nail1823 nipper1823 bag1824 lag1847 tap1859 snaffle1860 to put the collar on1865 copper1872 to take in1878 lumber1882 to pick up1887 to pull in1893 lift1923 drag1924 to knock off1926 to put the sleeve on1930 bust1940 pop1960 vamp1970 α. β. c1440 (?a1400) Morte Arthure 1636 (MED) They..Planttez them in the pathe with powere arrayede, To pyke up þe presoners fro oure pryse knyghttez.1684 tr. Plutarch Lives III. 484 Those that were disperst and stragled in the fields, were pick't up in the Morning by the Horsemen, and put to the Sword. 1687 A. Lovell tr. J. de Thévenot Trav. into Levant i. 110 The Christian Corsairs pick up several of them [sc. vessels] now and then. 1694 L. Echard tr. Plautus Amphitryon i. i, in tr. Plautus Comedies 8 If Mr Constable and his Watch shou'd pick m'up and in wi' me to Lobs-Pound? 1773 R. Graves Spiritual Quixote I. p. vii What became of the Author of this History; (whether he was picked up by those foes to indigent merit, the Bum-bailiffs; or those friends to bashful courage, a Press-gang). 1793 J. Smeaton Narr. Edystone Lighthouse (ed. 2) §265 A fishing boat, which..had been picked up by the French for the sake of intelligence. 1825 Times 1 Jan. 3/3 He was picked up by the officer, who lodged him in the Compter for the night. 1847 J. J. Oswandel Notes Mexican War (1885) ii. 110 It is reported that Gen. Pillow has instructed the rear guard to pick up every soldier lagging on the wayside; that they must keep up with the main army. 1885 U. S. Grant Personal Mem. I. xxii. 309 He had..scattered the little army..so that the most of it could be picked up in detail. 1887 Lantern (New Orleans) 11 June 2/2 I'll have the police pick him up for blackmail. 1938 F. D. Sharpe Sharpe of Flying Squad xiv. 157 I picked them up for stealing a man's wallet. 1993 Albuquerque (New Mexico) Jrnl. 4 Feb. c2/2 ‘Stormy’..was picked up last year on prostitution charges. b. To take (a person or thing) into one's company; (in later use) esp. to stop for (a person) to get into a vehicle. ΘΚΠ society > travel > transport > [verb (transitive)] > take or collect in order to convey to pick up1820 collect1895 uplift1961 society > travel > transport > transport or conveyance in a vehicle > transport or convey in a vehicle [verb (transitive)] > pick up to take up1689 to pick up1839 uplift1961 1664 G. Etherege Comical Revenge iii. iv. 37 My Master pick'd him Up before a Puppit-show..to send him with a Letter to the Post. 1665 R. Head Eng. Rogue I. iii. 23 She goes frequently to the Carriers, where at last she had pickt up a couple of very well-featured Country-girles, and brings them home. 1716 London Gaz. No. 5474/4 Whoever has pickt her [sc. a lost bitch] up,..shall receive 10s. Reward. 1749 L. Pilkington Mem. (new ed.) II. 153 To say the Truth, she only went there [i.e. to Church] to pick up a Gallant. 1805 S. J. Pratt Hail Fellow! Well Met! v. v, in Harvest-home II. 211 Well, well, if we pick them up, we'll e'en take 'em in tow: they'll serve well enough for ballast, this heeling weather. 1820 J. W. Croker Diary 10 Mar. (1884) Lord Yarmouth..came over to pick me up on our way to town. 1839 W. Chambers Tour Belgium 73/1 One of the many omnibusses which drive round to pick up passengers from the hotels. 1891 T. Hardy Tess of the D'Urbervilles III. lvii. 249 To walk to the first station onward, and let the train pick him up there. 1924 P. G. Wodehouse Leave it to Psmith x. 211 You'll pick up your dogs and run round as quick as you can make it. 1962 L. Davidson Rose of Tibet ii. 46 The arrangement was for a car to pick him up..but when..no car appeared, he..took a bus instead. 2002 Fangoria Mar. 13/4 Four road-tripping friends pick up a sexy—and deadly—hitch-hiker. c. Originally British slang. Originally: to engage the sexual services of (a prostitute, etc.), to proposition. Now chiefly: to strike up a relationship with (a person, esp. a stranger) as a sexual overture; (more generally) to form an informal or casual acquaintance with. Cf. pickup n. 5c. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > love > love affair > have a love affair [verb (transitive)] > initiate a casual or sexual relationship (with) to pick up1672 lumber1938 to pick up1958 1672 E. Ravenscroft Citizen turn'd Gentleman iv. i. 78 You unmannerly Rogues pick me up? I'l make ye know I am..a woman of Quality. 1673 J. Arrowsmith Reformation iii. ii. 32 Conclude her [to be] some Jilt that never had the good luck to be pickt up there, or some poor whore that can't purchase a seat. 1698 J. Collier Short View Immorality Eng. Stage vi. 238 Nothing being more common than to see Beauty surpriz'd, Women debauch'd, and Wenches Pick'd up at these Diversions. 1734 Select Trials 1720–1724 59/1 The Prosecutor pick'd me up and went with me to my Lodgings..where he would have lain with me. 1785 W. Cowper Let. 4 June (1981) II. 352 He was seen by Mr. Shepherd..leading a female companion into a wood.., whom he saw him pick up as he went. c1874 H. C. Merivale Husband in Clover 3 Look at Caroline Bunbury... I don't know where Bunbury picked her up. 1893 G. B. Shaw Widowers' Houses i. viii. 29 ‘I have made the acquaintance of’—or you may say ‘picked up’, or ‘come across’, if you think that would suit your friend's style better. 1921 Sat. Evening Post 1 Oct. 18/2 You are right in thinking there must be something wrong with girls who try to ‘pick up’ strange men as no girl with self respect would do such a thing. 1961 J. Dos Passos Midcentury 94 Eileen got to dancing..and trying to pick up strange men. 2004 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 1 Feb. ix. 6/2 Mr. Feynman is taught how to pick up women at bars. d. intransitive. To enter into conversation or take up company with, esp. casually; to begin or resume one's acquaintance or association with. Cf. to take up 18a at take v. Phrasal verbs 1. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > love > friendliness > be friendly [verb (intransitive)] > become mutually acquainted acquaintc1350 know1601 quaint1606 to fall in1808 to pick up1838 1838 Times 3 Oct. 7/5 He should not have stabbed the man, but he had taken a drop too much and picked up with a girl who instigated him to do it. 1863 A. Trollope Rachel Ray I. i. 18 She that was to have been married to William Whitecoat.., only he went away to Torquay and picked up with somebody else. 1884 G. Allen Philistia I. 13 Herbert..had picked up at once with a Polish exile in a corner. 1904 J. London Sea-wolf xvii. 155 We ran on to the north and west till we raised the coast of Japan and picked up with the great seal herd. 1935 N. Mitchison We have been Warned iv. 372 Robin's been sweet about my picking up with him again. 1992 T. Morrison Jazz 203 After Dorcas picked up with Acton, we saw each other like before, but she was different. e. To catch (a boat, train, taxi, etc.) as a passenger. Cf. sense 3b. ΚΠ 1854 E. C. Gaskell North & South II. vi. 85 I'll pick up some craft or other to take me off, never fear. 1909 Chatterbox 39/1 ‘Can we pick up the train a little further on?’ asked Jimmy, loath to give up the ride yet. 1957 R. Lawler in Theatre Arts (1959) 47/3 If you don't pick up a cab by the time a tram comes, grab that. 1980 Times 5 Jan. 9/3 You can't fail to pick up a taxi at any Tokyo street-corner. 2003 Mortgage Banking (Nexis) 1 Jan. 60 The PATH commuter station, which was under the World Trade Center, where commuters picked up a train to New Jersey. f. intransitive. colloquial (originally U.S.). With on. = sense 3c. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > love > love affair > have a love affair [verb (transitive)] > initiate a casual or sexual relationship (with) to pick up1672 lumber1938 to pick up1958 1958 W. Motley Let No Man write my Epitaph 210 I headed back downtown and picked up on some broad and we had a ball. 1980 Frederick (Maryland) Post 31 July b2/3 She's getting a little drunk and some guy's pickin up on her. 1992 i-D July 26/2 (caption) I like to skate and pick up on girls. g. Sport. = mark v. 17. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > football > play football [verb (transitive)] > actions or manoeuvres place-kick1845 punt1845 dribble1863 head1871 tackle1884 mark1887 foot1900 boot1914 rumble1954 late-tackle1957 dummy1958 crash-tackle1960 to pick up1961 nod1965 slot1970 welly1986 1961 Webster's 3rd New Internat. Dict. Eng. Lang. Pick up,..to move into position to guard (an opponent). 1968 Daily Times (Salisbury, Maryland) 28 Mar. The instant he moved inside UCLA's diamond 4-man zone, another picked him up. 1968 Times 9 May 13/2 England masked him finally, with Moore shadowing him at the back and Hunter and Peters picking him up in midfield. 1992 Cornell Daily Sun (Ithaca, N.Y.) 30 Nov. 19/3 The Friars scored their second goal..off a missed assignment. ‘The third forward into the zone wasn't picked up,’ the coach said. 2003 Scotl. on Sunday (Nexis) 18 May 4 When Chris McGroarty..crossed into the box, no-one picked up the in-rushing Gary Mason. 4. transitive. a. To acquire or gain by chance or without specific effort; to come by, obtain, acquire, learn, esp. in an informal way or as opportunity arises. ΘΚΠ the mind > possession > acquisition > obtain or acquire [verb (transitive)] > obtain or acquire in a certain way > by chance or opportunity to pick up1448 acquire?1483 α. β. a1522 G. Douglas in tr. Virgil Æneid (1957) iii. Prol. 35 This text is full of storyis euery deill, Realmes and landis, quharof I haue na feill..To pike thame wp perchance ȝour eene suld reill.1448 M. Paston in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) I. 223 Herry Goneld hath browth to me xl s. of Gressam syn [MS sym] ȝe ȝede, and he seyth I xal have more or Qhythson tyd jf he may pyk jt vp. a1538 W. Holme Fall & Euill Successe Rebellion (1572) sig. G.iv For polling they haue picked vp a Purgatorie, Spoiling Christes bloud and his misericorde. 1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry iii. f. 129 Mountaines where they [sc. cattle] may browse vpon the bushes, and picke vp a good liuing among the Woods. 1609 W. Shakespeare Pericles xvi. 30 If in our youthes we could picke vp some prettie estate, t'were not amisse to keepe our doore hatch't. View more context for this quotation 1653 R. Mead Combat Love & Friendship iii. iv. 44 Thus he wooes With language pickt up from the Senate house. 1693 J. Edwards Disc. conc. Old & New-Test. I. iii. 102 This ridiculous Fable which Plato had pick'd up. 1705 R. Gwinnett Let. 21 July in E. Thomas Pylades & Corinna (1731) I. 116 I shall go to our Assizes on Monday, where, if I pick up any News, you may expect it in my next [letter]. 1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 160. ¶1 When I was at Grand Cairo I picked up several Oriental Manuscripts. a1790 B. Franklin Autobiogr. (1981) iii. 153 He went thro' the Colonies exhibiting them in every capital Town, and pick'd up some money. 1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. iv. 452 His legal knowledge..was merely such as he had picked up. 1874 J. S. C. Abbott Kit Carson 29 The resting for a couple of hours gave them time for their dinner, which they had mainly picked up by the way. 1888 A. Jessopp Coming of Friars ii. 84 There were many ways of picking up a livelihood by these gentlemen. 1901 Daily News 5 Feb. 6/3 A parrot-faculty for picking up languages. 1988 R. Basu Hours before Dawn x. 94 She walked across Second Avenue towards Twentieth Street to pick up apple strudel from a German baker. 1995 Ital. Food & Wine Spring 8/1 Pop in here to pick up a piece of breaded, deep-fried filet of baccalà. 2004 Walrus June 85/1 He learned the Greek myths at home and school, picked up his aesthetics in the opulent overstuffed mansion of his parents. b. transitive. Of an object: to collect or acquire (a coating, an adhering mass of particles, etc.) upon its surface. Cf. pickup n. 9. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > arrangement or fact of being arranged > state of being gathered together > gather together [verb (transitive)] > gather in one mass or form lumps > accumulate > be the means of accumulating gather?c1225 to pick up1843 1843 C. Holtzapffel Turning & Mech. Manip. I. 228 He..dips the hammer in the slake trough, and lets fall upon the anvil a few drops of the water it picks up. 1890 Philos. Trans. 1889 (Royal Soc.) A. 180 4 A meteorite in that condition will certainly also pick up dust. 1936 Times 11 July 3/6 During wear furs pick up dust and grime, which render their appearance dull and lustreless. 1960 F. G. Mann & B. C. Saunders Pract. Org. Chem. (ed. 4) iv. 473 The closed tubes..are then allowed to stand for a definite period of time in the air, to pick up a definite amount of water vapour. 2003 Fresno (Calif.) Bee (Nexis) 30 Mar. j1 It's why I frame them; if they aren't framed, they pick up too much dust. c. to pick up a nail. (a) Of a horse or a horse's foot: to stand on a nail, to injure the foot on a sharp object. ΚΠ 1880 A. Trollope Duke's Children II. xviii. 218 He was taken out and picked up a nail. The consequence was he could not run. 1928 Cent. Mag. May 21/2 Instead of moving he took one unwilling step forward, then he stumbled and almost fell, for his forefoot had picked up a nail. 2000 Mother Earth News (Electronic ed.) 16 Feb. You know (we hope) that the inside of a horse's hoof—the frog—is soft and can easily pick up a stray nail. (b) slang (chiefly U.S. and Caribbean). [With allusion to the limp of sufferers of certain of these diseases.] To catch a venereal disease. ΚΠ 1938 Washington Post 24 Oct. 7/1 Parents..and doctors try to terrify adolescents into chastity by describing the horrors of venereal disease... But in time..some of the young pick up a nail. 1946 E. O'Neill Iceman Cometh iv. 236 You may be lucky for a long time, but you get nicked in the end. I picked up a nail from some tart in Altoona. 1974 S. Sadeek Bundarie Boy 70 S2. Why cash for the Doc? S1. Me pick-up a nail. 1994 R. Davies Cunning Man 212 Their complaints were run-of-the-mill stuff: a strain, a pulled tendon,..fear of having ‘picked up a nail’ from some local prostitute when on leave. d. To contract (an illness, disease, infection, etc.); (also) to acquire (an injury). Cf. to pick up a nail. ΘΚΠ the world > health and disease > ill health > cause to be ill [verb (transitive)] > catch illness catcha1393 enticec1400 engender1525 get1527 to take up1629 to come down1837 to pick up1889 start1891 to go down1895 1889 Proc. Royal Geogr. Soc. 11 208 We stopped at one of his camps for the night, and must have picked up the disease there. 1927 Times 8 Feb. 18/2 The Minister submits that the animals must have picked up the disease on arrival in England. 1967 A. S. Byatt Game (1983) xvi. 181 There are various parasites and things I might have picked up. 1985 Times 11 Nov. 29/8 He picked up a groin injury in Saturday's match. 1999 Daily Tel. 24 Feb. 17/5 In one zoo, indeed, macaques picked up an Aids-like illness from the talapoin monkey. 2001 FourFourTwo Sept. 53/1 I'd picked up an achilles tendon injury, and if I'd wanted to carry on playing I'd have had to have an operation. 5. transitive. slang. To rob; to cheat, swindle; to steal, acquire by theft. Formerly also: †(of a prostitute) to take advantage of (a client) (obsolete). Also intransitive. Now rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > possession > taking > stealing or theft > steal [verb (transitive)] pick?c1300 takec1300 fetch1377 bribec1405 usurpc1412 rapc1415 to rap and rendc1415 embezzle1495 lifta1529 pilfer1532 suffurate1542 convey?1545 mill1567 prig1567 strike1567 lag1573 shave1585 knave1601 twitch1607 cly1610 asport1621 pinch1632 snapa1639 nap1665 panyar1681 to carry off1684 to pick up1687 thievea1695 to gipsy away1696 bone1699 make1699 win1699 magg1762 snatch1766 to make off with1768 snavel1795 feck1809 shake1811 nail1819 geach1821 pull1821 to run off1821 smug1825 nick1826 abduct1831 swag1846 nobble1855 reef1859 snig1862 find1865 to pull off1865 cop1879 jump1879 slock1888 swipe1889 snag1895 rip1904 snitch1904 pole1906 glom1907 boost1912 hot-stuff1914 score1914 clifty1918 to knock off1919 snoop1924 heist1930 hoist1931 rabbit1943 to rip off1967 to have off1974 the mind > possession > taking > stealing or theft > steal [verb (transitive)] > steal from picka1350 lifta1529 filch1567 purloinc1571 prowl1603 touch1631 pinch1632 to pick up1687 to speak with ——1725 knock1767 shab1787 jump1789 to speak to ——1800 shake1811 spice1819 sting1819 tap1879 to knock over1928 1687 E. Ravenscroft Titus Andronicus sig. A4 They'l Venter their Half-Crowns but the first day, And then—To pick up Cullys, not to see the Play. c1770 R. King Frauds of London Detected 39 [Highwaymen] have various schemes for carrying on their business, such as seeing ostlers, bribing landlords, on the road, for intelligence of who is worth picking up. 1819 J. H. Vaux New Vocab. Flash Lang. in Mem. (1964) 257 Pick-up, to accost, or enter into conversation with any person, for the purpose of executing some design upon his personal property... To pick up a cull, is a term used by blowens in their vocation of street-walking. To pick a person up, in a general sense, is to impose upon, or take advantage of him, in a contract or bargain. 1829 H. Widowson Present State Van Diemen's Land 73 There are always a number of loose characters lurking about, on the look-out for strangers, to ‘pick them up’, as they term it, which, in other words, means to rob them. a1876 E. Leigh Gloss. Words Dial. Cheshire (1877) 154 Picking up, a term for picking a pocket. 1903 Mark of Broad Arrow vii. 108 Within twenty-four hours of that man's release the three prison-made thieves were looking round the town to see what they could ‘pick up’—in plain language, to see what they could thieve. 1928 Detective Fiction Weekly 8 Sept. 565/2 Gentleman George..would mark down his traveler, knowing him to be in possession of jewelry or other valuables, and tirelessly follow him until the opportunity arose to ‘pick-up’ his all-important bag. 6. a. transitive. To accumulate, gain (speed, weight, etc.); spec. to regain (something that has been lost or shed); to recover (speed); to make up (a shortfall). to pick up steam: to gain momentum; (literal) to produce sufficient steam to work a steam engine. ΚΠ 1703 Lett. from Living to Living 134 Most of us, you know, that have had fourteen Years to pick up our Flesh in, are as Plump as Plenty can make us. 1752 Philos. Trans. 1749–50 (Royal Soc.) 46 79 He has pick'd up his Flesh, and promises to enjoy a good Habit of Body. 1860 ‘G. Eliot’ Mill on Floss II. v. ii. 227 If I lose one year, I shall never pick it up again. 1891 New Englander (New Haven, Connecticut) Apr. 352 So soon as the extra load is overcome or removed, the engine picks up speed and again stores energy in the fly-wheel. 1915 Lincoln (Nebraska) Sunday Star 7 Feb. 3/3 Closman has been taking things easy this winter and has picked up weight, which he sadly needed last summer. 1930 Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune 28 May 5/6 The Philadelphia Athletics, who had the makings of a nice winning streak of their own.., continued to pick up steam and gave Boston its tenth successive defeat. 1946 Times 15 Jan. 2/4 The stoker shovelled coal to pick up steam to enable it [sc. the train] to continue. 1970 A. K. Armah Fragments iii. 91 The car picked up speed, its lights making the low gutter culverts flash yellow as it left intersections behind. 1986 Advertiser (Adelaide) (Nexis) 18 Nov. It was hoped the weather would fine up once south of Katherine, and Bartell expected to pick up the lost time on the leg to Alice Springs. 2004 Prediction Apr. 21/1 We picked up the pace to rejoin the ghost walk. b. transitive. In a race: to cause (a horse, boat, etc.) to go faster. ΚΠ 1872 Wisconsin Editorial Assoc. Proc. June 51 The Kegonsa was about two lengths behind, and as the mile flag was passed the crew were called on to ‘pick her up’. 1958 J. Hislop From Start to Finish 84 in G. Hammond Horse Racing (1992) 155 Go down to the course, two or three furlongs from home, and see how horses are picked up and balanced for the final run. 1987 Racing Post 30 Mar. 4/6 He easily picked up Mystical Man to take command on that side inside the final furlong. c. intransitive. To gain on in a race or competition. ΘΚΠ the world > movement > rate of motion > move at specific rate [verb (transitive)] > gain (ground) upon wina1300 to gain on or upon1719 to gain ground upon1816 to pick up1908 1908 Daily Chron. 27 Nov. 7/6 At the fifth lap..Dorando held him, and then began to pick up on him. 1925 Times 4 Aug. 16/4 On the last lap [he] picked up on Mr. Uwins enough to finish about one minute and a half behind. 1998 Post & Courier (Charleston, S. Carolina) (Nexis) 17 June c4 It feels good for us to pick up spots, but we didn't pick up on the car we need to pick up on. d. intransitive. Of a vehicle, aircraft, etc.: to gain speed after being slow-moving or stationary. ΘΚΠ society > travel > transport > transport or conveyance in a vehicle > movement of vehicles > move or go along [verb (intransitive)] > accelerate to pick up1915 1915 Decatur (Illinois) Rev. 8 Aug. (advt.) Press the foot throttle, and the car picks up and gets away instantly. 1932 C. Isherwood Memorial iii. i. 181 ‘That's a damn fine bus,’ said Farncombe earnestly. ‘My Christ, Gerald, you should see the way she picks up.’ 1989 Pract. Caravan Sept. 37/1 Solo it responded well, picking up to good speeds in a relatively short space of time. 7. a. transitive. To pluck up (courage); to rally (a person's spirits). ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > courage > encouragement > pluck up courage [verb] findOE to take (in early use nim) heartc1275 to have the heartc1300 to hent one's heartc1325 to pull upa1393 to fang upa1400 pluckc1400 to take courage1490 to take heart of grace (and variants)c1520 to lift up one's heart, mind, soul1535 to get (also gather, keep, etc.) heart of grace1581 hearten1587 to pluck up one's courage1660 flesh1695 pluck up courage1726 to pick up1735 to call forth1802 to pluck up1827 to muster up1893 1735 Lives Most Remarkable Criminals I. 66 Tyburn, the sight of which fill'd him with so much Terrour, that he was not able to pick up Courage enough to go by it. 1753 tr. ‘L'Esprit Fort’ Deist Triumphant xix. 244 Nor can't [he] conceive how to alleviate our Grievances, correct their Tartness, or pick up any Spirits upon so ruinous Expectances. 1790 J. Bruce Trav. Source Nile I. 195 I picked up courage, and..said..without trepidation, ‘What men are these before?’ 1847 J. J. Oswandel Notes Mexican War (1885) ii. 73 By this temporary retreat we expected the Mexicans would pick up courage and make a rally upon us, but they could not be bamboozled or drawn out in that way. 1872 W. Black Strange Adventures Phaeton iii She had so far picked up her spirits. 1978 Detroit Free Press 5 Mar. (Spring Fashion Suppl.) 4/4 Spring flowers..are worth looking into..to pick up a flagging, winter-worn spirit. 1999 J. Naughton Brief Hist. Future (2001) xiv. 224 After a time I picked up courage, clicked on the ‘lassoo’ [sic] tool and selected a fin with it. b. intransitive. To become more healthy, lively, vigorous, etc., esp. after an illness; to recover or improve after any check or depression; to rally. Also in extended use. ΘΚΠ the world > health and disease > healing > recovery > recover or be healed [verb (intransitive)] wholeeOE botenc1225 cover1297 amendc1325 recovera1375 warisha1386 recovera1387 healc1390 recurec1400 soundc1402 mendc1440 convalesce1483 guarish1489 restore1494 refete?a1505 revert1531 to gather (or pick) up one's crumbs1589 cure1597 recruit1644 to perk upa1656 retrieve1675 to pick up1740 to leave one's bed1742 to sit up and take nourishment1796 to get round1798 to come round1818 to pull through1830 rally1831 to fetch round1870 to mend up1877 to pull round1889 recoup1896 recuperate1897 1740 S. Richardson Pamela I. 237 Now this Woman sees me pick up so fast, she uses me worse. 1751 T. Gray Let. 10 Oct. in Corr. (1971) I. 353 His College, which had much declined for some time, is picking up again. 1804 W. Scott in J. G. Lockhart Life II. i. 15 He was sent down here..in a half-starved state, but begins to pick up a little. 1849 C. Sturt Narr. Exped. Central Austral. I. 262 The fact of the natives having crossed the plain confirmed my impression that the creek picked up [i.e. recovered itself] beyond it. 1896 Indianapolis Typogr. Jrnl. 16 Nov. 404 Business in our trade is rapidly picking up. 1925 H. Crane Let. 9 Dec. (1965) 225 I shall probably pick up as never before when I get into the quiet of the country. 1974 S. Clapham Greenhouse Bk. viii. 66 The plants merely wilt in the sun and pick up again in the evening. 2004 Carmarthen Jrnl. (Nexis) 11 Aug. 7 Hopefully when business picks up I can put in more hours. c. transitive. colloquial. To have a reviving effect upon, serve as a tonic for. Cf. pick-me-up n. ΘΚΠ the world > health and disease > healing > heal or cure [verb (transitive)] > restore to health healc1000 temperc1000 recoverc1330 covera1375 restorec1384 recovera1398 rectifya1400 revert1446 recruita1661 re-establish1664 to set up1686 to bring toa1796 reinstate1810 tinker1823 recuperate1849 to bring about1854 to pick up1857 to fetch round1870 re-edify1897 to pull round1900 1857 C. Dickens & W. Collins in Househ. Words 31 Oct. 412/1 Several..look in at the chemist's..to be ‘picked up’. 1889 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Robbery under Arms xlii I suppose a decent dinner will pick me up. 1914 G. B. Shaw Misalliance 80 Have you had your tea?.. A cup of tea will pick you up. 1941 E. Mittelholzer Corentyne Thunder xxxi. 178 What he wants to pick him up is a good quinine and iron tonic. 1990 Chron.-Telegram (Elyria, Ohio) 18 June That really picked me up when Jerry made that diving stop. 8. transitive. colloquial (originally U.S.). Originally: †to show up, contradict (obsolete). Now: to call to account; to find fault with, criticize, esp. on account of a particular remark, action, etc. Now usually with on. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > contempt > disapproval > criticism > criticize [verb (transitive)] > captiously upbraidc1290 bite1330 to gnap at1533 carp1550 cavil1581 carp1587 to pick at ——1603 to pick a hole (also holes) in1614 yark1621 vellicate1633 to peck at1641 snob1654 ploat1757 to get at ——1803 crab1819 to pick up1846 knock1892 snark1904 kvetchc1950 to pick nits1978 1846 S. F. Smith Theatr. Apprenticeship 149 The bystanders..were crowding around the table in great numbers to see the fun—all considering me most undoubtedly ‘picked up’. 1885 B. Harte Maruja iii. 67 Eh, but I'm not prepared to say he is a fool, either... Those who try to pick him up for one..will find themselves mistaken. 1898 North Adams (Mass.) Evening Transcript 20 June In the course of the discussion the youngster happened to drop the remark that [etc.].., and the old baronet at once picked him up on it. 1967 Times 11 Sept. 2/6 A letter from one observant classicist picked him up on the spelling in his campaign leaflet. 2003 Western Mail (Cardiff) (Nexis) 25 Feb. 8 A lot of people pick us up on it and ask us why we haven't translated the district and sub-district. 9. transitive. Nautical. To derive propulsive power from (a wind). See also quot. 1867. ΚΠ 1850 Times 24 Jan. 8/1 We picked up a fresh gale off the land, which ran me within a mile of Cape Gavarea. 1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. Pick up a wind,..to run from one trade or prevalent wind to another, with as little intervening calm as possible. 1877 R. L. Price Two Americas iii. 38 On the 23rd of December we left Monte Video, and next day picking up a rattling fair wind, logged our greatest number of knots in an hour, i.e. ten. 1954 Ames (Iowa) Daily Tribune 9 Feb. 11/5 The transpacific airliner from Honolulu picked up a tail wind and was off the California coast 10 minutes ahead of schedule. 2001 Daily Tel. (Sydney) (Nexis) 1 Dec. 103 Team News Corp, which has dived further south in a bid to pick up more favourable wind, is third. 10. transitive. Cricket. a. Originally: to succeed in hitting (a ball), esp. a low one. Now chiefly: to strike (a ball, the bowler) in the air over the leg-side field. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > cricket > batting > bat [verb (transitive)] > hit > hit with specific stroke take1578 stop1744 nip1752 block1772 drive1773 cut1816 draw1816 tip1816 poke1836 spoon1836 mow1844 to put up1845 smother1845 sky1849 crump1850 to pick up1851 pull1851 skyrocket1851 swipe1851 to put down1860 to get away1868 smite1868 snick1871 lift1874 crack1882 smack1882 off-drive1888 snip1890 leg1892 push1893 hook1896 flick1897 on-drive1897 chop1898 glance1898 straight drive1898 cart1903 edge1904 tonk1910 sweep1920 mishook1934 middle1954 square-drive1954 tickle1963 square-cut1976 slash1977 splice1982 paddle1986 1851 J. Pycroft Cricket Field vii. 153 If you reach far enough, even a shooter may be picked up. 1862 J. Pycroft Cricket Tutor 8 The old bat used to be heavy at the point—very requisite for picking up a Grounder. 1959 Times 29 May 4/1 He could not have picked up the ball off his legs so crisply. 1989 Independent (Nexis) 17 Jan. 28 Not the least remarkable stroke came when Curtly Ambrose picked up Hughes over mid-wicket for six. 2004 Northern Echo (Nexis) 17 May 22 North picked up the next ball over long leg for the first of his five sixes. b. Of a fielder, esp. one close to the wicket: to catch (a batter). Frequently in passive. ΚΠ 1851 J. Pycroft Cricket Field ii. 29 Old Robinson..had six unlucky innings in succession: once caught by Hammond, from a draw; then bowled with shooters, or picked up at short slip. 1955 Times 16 June 3/3 At 37 Brookes, forcing Lewis off his legs, was picked up by Woller at forward short leg, a good catch ankle high. 1977 Sunday Times 30 Jan. 30/4 Brearley was the first to fall, picked up at slip. 2003 Australian (Nexis) 1 May 19 Waugh's bowlers found Lara was vulnerable to the ball slanted across him above waist height and regularly picked him up in the slips cordon as a result. 11. intransitive. colloquial (originally U.S.). To tidy or clean up (after a person). Also transitive: to tidy, put in order. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > order > come into order [verb (intransitive)] > make tidy slick1841 to pick up1853 the world > relative properties > order > put in (proper) order [verb (transitive)] > put in order or tidy redeOE slick1340 redda1500 prepare1585 spruce1594 rid1599 snod1608 to clear up1762 snug1787 ted1811 tidy1821 side1825 fix1832 to pick up1853 mense1859 straighten1867 square1909 neaten1942 1853 Daily Alton (Illinois) Tel. 29 Aug. Another way to spoil a boy, is to pick up after him... We hold that there is just as much need of neat habits in a boy, as in the gentler sex. 1861 Trans. Illinois State Agric. Soc. 1859–60 4 204 We did not find ‘things picked up in it’—no air of comfort about it. 1864 G. A. Sala My Diary in Amer. (1865) I. 114 She is spoken of, not satirically,..as ‘the young lady’ who ‘picks up’ the house and ‘fixes’ the dinner-table. 1931 Bee (Danville, Va.) 19 Nov. 4/1 His mother can either pick up after him, or bring nervous prostration on herself trying to instill ideals of neatness and order into him. 1966 J. Ball Cool Cottontail v. 44 ‘The room isn't properly picked up yet,’ the woman said. ‘When you have five kids..you can't get everything done.’ 1990 J. Welch Indian Lawyer viii. 169 When she first moved in, twelve years ago, she had tried to keep the small patch of grass mowed and picked up. 12. transitive. a. To catch sight of (a light, signal, etc.); to succeed in perceiving with the senses; (in later use) esp. to detect or receive by means of an appropriate instrument or apparatus. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > discovery > instrument for detection > of instrument, etc.: detect [verb (transitive)] to pick up1857 sense1896 read1974 1857 Ld. Dufferin Lett. from High Latitudes (ed. 3) 210 It was now time to run down West and pick up the land. 1859 Philos. Trans. 1858 (Royal Soc.) 148 479 Sundry notices of stars picked up during the day with the Sheepshanks telescope on Guajara are scattered through the Astronomical Journal. 1860 Mercantile Marine Mag. 7 30 No stranger should attempt to pick up the..Light in thick weather, nor enter the port at night. 1879 Cassell's Techn. Educator (new ed.) IV. 258/1 The condenser..framed with the view of picking up the greatest number of rays from the source of light. 1883 R. L. Stevenson Treasure Island i. ii At last the voices began to grow higher, and I could pick up a word or two..from the captain. 1900 Westm. Gaz. 29 June 10/1 If the fireman as well as the driver had been picking up the Slough signals there would have been no accident. 1922 Encycl. Brit. XXX. 88/2 Presently the airship was ‘picked up’, and immediately from all quarters of the defences searchlights could be seen moving across to get on to it. 1925 Scribner's Mag. July 45/1 One night the Cap'n had picked up Davenport, Iowa, as plainly as New York. 1938 A. E. Wier Macmillan Encycl. Music & Musicians 519 A microphone picks up the sound from the strings in groups of five. 1977 Lancet 4 June 1187/2 Gamma radiation is picked up by two detectors and the scintillation-counts are fed into a laboratory digital computer. 2004 Chicago Tribune (Midwest ed.) 11 Jan. xiii. 7/1 Fragrance maven Jo Malone picked up the scent of dark-roasted Dean & Deluca coffee beans mingling with florals nearby. b. To come upon, find, discern (a path, etc.); to recover, regain, resume (a track, trail, etc., that has been lost or departed from).to pick up the thread: see thread n. 8. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > endeavour > searching or seeking > finding or discovery > find or discover [verb (transitive)] findOE yfindOE hita1075 befindc1200 out-findc1300 to try outc1325 to find outa1375 to find upc1390 ascryc1400 outwryc1400 inventc1475 vent1611 to hit off1680 discover1762 to scare up1846 to pick up1869 rumble1897 1869 J. W. Meader Merrimack River iii. 74 The vicinity of a stream, the margin of which is the most ‘likely’ place to ‘pick up’ a fresh track. 1890 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Colonial Reformer (1891) 209 The advance guard could..pick up the trail on more favourable ground. 1925 G. D. H. Cole & M. Cole Death of Millionaire vi. 57 There's valuable evidence gone west... It may be hard to pick up the trail now. 1931 Times 29 Aug. 12/1 Having picked up the trail easily and found where the gorilla had slept, we finally came across them on a very steep slope of Mikeno. 1991 Petersen's Bowhunting Dec. 30/1 After a 30-minute wait we picked up the blood trail and could tell it was a liver hit because of the deep red blood. c. intransitive. colloquial (originally U.S.). With on. To understand or appreciate; to realize or become aware of; to notice. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > understanding > understand [phrase] to know what's whatc1422 to know where to find a person1565 to see the light1812 to be awake to1813 to know a move or two1819 to get on to ——1880 to get the strength of1890 to be (or get) wise to1896 to get the picture1900 the penny dropped1939 to pick up1944 to get the message1959 to take on board1979 1944 D. Burley Orig. Handbk. Harlem Jive 15 Let me boot you to my play [sc. inform you of my plan] and, maybe, you can pick up on the issue. 1956 ‘B. Holiday’ & W. Dufty Lady sings Blues i. 16 In Baltimore, places like Alice Dean's were the only joints fancy enough to have a victrola and for real enough to pick up on the best records. 1964 H. Rhodes Chosen Few 11 Wait'll you pick up on how this place has changed. 1977 C. McKnight & J. Tobler Bob Marley iii. 46 Paul McCartney was noted as having ‘picked up on reggae’. 2001 J. Hamilton-Paterson Loving Monsters (2002) vi. 87 Maybe the fellow at the funeral had picked up on chat: it takes one to know one, sort of thing. d. To realize, notice, become aware of, appreciate. Frequently with that-clause as object. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > understanding > understand [verb (transitive)] > reach understanding of conceive1340 grope1390 tellc1390 catchc1475 reacha1500 make1531 to make sense of1574 to make outa1625 apprehend1631 realize1742 finda1834 reify1854 recognize1879 to get (something) straight1920 to pick up1946 to work out1953 1946 F. M. Teagarden Child Psychol. for Professional Workers (rev. ed.) ix. 299 During a psychological examination, clues are often picked up that may indicate the need of special physical or psychiatric study. 1956 G. Huntington Madame Solario xxiii. 270 His acute awareness of her picked up what others might not have noticed. 1983 S. Krieger Mirror Dance xiii. 161 She would feel people felt disgust..if they picked up that she was a lesbian. 1997 J. Ryan Dismantling Mr Doyle xi. 163 She had picked up that it was the sort of thing Eve would be interested in hearing. 2003 Farmers Guardian 14 Mar. 16/2 What I am picking up everywhere is lots of enthusiasm, a recognition that this is a growing market. 13. intransitive. Chiefly U.S. To depart; to get ready to go. Esp. in to pick up and go (or leave) and variants. Cf. to pick up stakes at stake n.1 1e. ΘΚΠ the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > going away > go away [verb (intransitive)] wendeOE i-wite971 ashakec975 shakeOE to go awayOE witea1000 afareOE agoOE atwendOE awayOE to wend awayOE awendOE gangOE rimeOE flitc1175 to fare forthc1200 depart?c1225 part?c1225 partc1230 to-partc1275 biwitec1300 atwitea1325 withdrawa1325 to draw awayc1330 passc1330 to turn one's (also the) backc1330 lenda1350 begonec1370 remuea1375 voidc1374 removec1380 to long awaya1382 twinc1386 to pass one's wayc1390 trussc1390 waive1390 to pass out ofa1398 avoida1400 to pass awaya1400 to turn awaya1400 slakec1400 wagc1400 returnc1405 to be gonea1425 muck1429 packc1450 recede1450 roomc1450 to show (a person) the feetc1450 to come offc1475 to take one's licence1475 issue1484 devoidc1485 rebatea1500 walka1500 to go adieua1522 pikea1529 to go one's ways1530 retire?1543 avaunt1549 to make out1558 trudge1562 vade?1570 fly1581 leave1593 wag1594 to get off1595 to go off1600 to put off1600 shog1600 troop1600 to forsake patch1602 exit1607 hence1614 to give offa1616 to take off1657 to move off1692 to cut (also slip) the painter1699 sheera1704 to go about one's business1749 mizzle1772 to move out1792 transit1797–1803 stump it1803 to run away1809 quit1811 to clear off1816 to clear out1816 nash1819 fuff1822 to make (take) tracks (for)1824 mosey1829 slope1830 to tail out1830 to walk one's chalks1835 to take away1838 shove1844 trot1847 fade1848 evacuate1849 shag1851 to get up and get1854 to pull out1855 to cut (the) cable(s)1859 to light out1859 to pick up1872 to sling one's Daniel or hook1873 to sling (also take) one's hook1874 smoke1893 screw1896 shoot1897 voetsak1897 to tootle off1902 to ship out1908 to take a (run-out, walk-out, etc.) powder1909 to push off1918 to bugger off1922 biff1923 to fuck off1929 to hit, split or take the breeze1931 to jack off1931 to piss offa1935 to do a mick1937 to take a walk1937 to head off1941 to take a hike1944 moulder1945 to chuff off1947 to get lost1947 to shoot through1947 skidoo1949 to sod off1950 peel1951 bug1952 split1954 poop1961 mugger1962 frig1965 1872 Rep. Joint Sel. Comm. Affairs Late Insurrectionary States 1132 If a man was trying to make a negro work, and talked a little short to the negro, he would pick up and go somewhere else. 1915 G. O'Keeffe Let. Oct. in G. O'Keeffe & A. Pollitzer Lovingly, Georgia (1990) 53 I am so beastly tired I cant [sic] work any more and school isn't quite over so I dont [sic] like to pick up and go outdoors. 1977 I. Shaw Beggarman, Thief i. v. 59 ‘Has it ever occurred to you to just pull out?’ ‘What do you mean?’ ‘I mean quit... Just pick up and leave.’ 1992 J. Purdy Out with Stars 26 I know the signs... Hugh is going to pick up and leave. 2002 Colgate Scene (Colgate Univ.) Jan. 24/1 My wife and I picked up and moved to Savannah, GA in mid-June. 14. intransitive. To resume, recommence. Esp. in to pick up where one left off and variants. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > undertaking > beginning action or activity > begin action or activity [verb (intransitive)] > again renulec1384 recommence1481 return1568 continue1711 resume1815 to start over1852 to start over1852 to pick up1906 1906 Chicago Sunday Tribune 14 Oct. vi. 3/3 ‘I know of one flour firm,’ continued the salesman, picking up where he had left off, ‘that employs no one for the road but women.’ 1928 A. E. Krows Playwriting for Profit xxxii. 340 In order to have one speech pick up where another leaves off, the controlling thought is placed toward the end of the speech. 1976 Columbus (Montana) News 3 June 1/4 The rodeo picks up again at 1:00 p.m. Sunday. 2000 Pract. Classics June 171/2 The old boy who'd been restoring it had popped his clogs, basically, and we picked up where he left off and started to put it back together. < as lemmas |
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英语词典包含1132095条英英释义在线翻译词条，基本涵盖了全部常用单词的英英翻译及用法，是英语学习的有利工具。