an improvement, as in health, business conditions, work, production, etc.
Informal. pick-me-up.
Informal. a casual, usually unintroduced acquaintance, often one made in hope of a sexual relationship.
an instance of stopping for or taking aboard passengers or freight, as by a train, ship, taxicab, etc., especially an instance of taking freight or a shipment of goods onto a truck.
the person, freight, or shipment so taken aboard: The cab driver had a pickup at the airport who wanted to be driven to the docks.
Automotive.
capacity for rapid acceleration.
acceleration; increase in speed.
Also called pickup truck .a small truck with a low-sided open body, used for deliveries and light hauling.
Baseball. the act of fielding a ball after it hits the ground.
Also called cartridge. a small device attached to the end of a phonograph tone arm that contains a stylus and the mechanism that translates the movement of the stylus in a record groove into a changing electrical voltage.
Radio.
the act of receiving sound waves in the transmitting set in order to change them into electrical waves.
a receiving or recording device.
the place from which a broadcast is being transmitted.
interference (def. 4).
Television.
the change of light energy into electrical energy in a television camera.
camera tube.
a telecast made directly from the scene of an action.
a hitchhiker.
Metalworking. (in the cold-drawing of metal) the adhesion of particles of the metal to the die or plug.
adjective
composed of or employing whatever persons are available on a more or less impromptu basis: a pickup game of baseball; a pickup dance band.
using whatever ingredients are handy or available: a Sunday night pickup supper.
Origin of pickup
First recorded in 1855–60; noun use of verb phrase pick up
Words nearby pickup
Pick's atrophy, Pick's disease 1, pick someone's brain, pickthank, pick to pieces, pickup, pickup arm, pickup camper, pick up on, pick-up stick, pick up the pieces
But some of his pickup methods might actually be criminal, according to the state of Nevada.
School Shooters Love This Pickup Artist Website|Brandy Zadrozny|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was still working on his pickup technique, and felt there was nothing for him at university.
The Secret World of Pickup Artist Julien Blanc|Brandy Zadrozny|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Cubans pulled up to the outpost and crammed the survivors into an open-body jeep and a pickup truck.
‘Argo’ in the Congo: The Ghosts of the Stanleyville Hostage Crisis|Nina Strochlic|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By one account, the student teachers were on the road out of Iguala when their way was blocked by a pickup truck.
Mexico’s First Lady of Murder Is on the Lam|Michael Daly|October 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On May 20, a pickup truck drove to an Iraqi army checkpoint in the city of Tal Afar.
Iran Says It’s Under Attack by ISIS|Jassem Al Salami|October 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This looked like about as good a time as any to make the pickup.
Cat and Mouse|Ralph Williams
The rails themselves act as antenna for the broadcaster, and the rat's tail is the pickup antenna.
Anything You Can Do|Gordon Randall Garrett
Have items ready for pickup at the designated spot when the driver arrives.
The Long Island Library Resources Council (LILRC) Interlibrary Loan Manual: January, 1976|Anonymous
Pitov turned on a couple of view-screens, one from a pickup on the roof of the bunker and another from the launching-pad.
The Answer|Henry Beam Piper
He bought himself a pickup truck and started a painting business there.
The Biography of a Rabbit|Roy Benson
British Dictionary definitions for pickup
pick-up
noun
Also called: pick-up arm, tone armthe light balanced arm of a record player that carries the wires from the cartridge to the preamplifier
an electromagnetic transducer that converts the vibrations of the steel strings of an electric guitar or other amplified instrument into electric signals
another name for cartridge (def. 3)
Also called: pick-up trucka small truck with an open body and low sides, used for light deliveries
informal, mainlyUSan ability to accelerate rapidlythis car has good pick-up
informala casual acquaintance, usually one made with sexual intentions
informal
a stop to collect passengers, goods, etc
the people or things collected
slanga free ride in a motor vehicle
informalan improvement
slanga pick-me-up
adjective
US and Canadianorganized, arranged, or assembled hastily and without planninga pick-up band; pick-up games
verbpick up(adverb)
(tr)to gather up in the hand or hands
(tr)to acquire, obtain, or purchase casually, incidentally, etc
(tr)to catch (a disease)she picked up a bad cold during the weekend
(intr)to improve in health, condition, activity, etcthe market began to pick up
(reflexive)to raise (oneself) after a fall or setback
(tr)to notice or senseshe picked up a change in his attitude
to resume where one left off; return towe'll pick up after lunch; they picked up the discussion
(tr)to learn gradually or as one goes along
(tr)to take responsibility for paying (a bill)he picked up the bill for dinner
(tr)informalto reprimandhe picked her up on her table manners
(tr)to collect or give a lift to (passengers, hitchhikers, goods, etc)
(tr)informalto become acquainted with, esp with a view to having sexual relations
(tr)informalto arrest
to increase (speed)the cars picked up down the straight
(tr)to receive (electrical signals, a radio signal, sounds, etc), as for transmission or amplification
pick up the piecesto restore a situation to normality after a crisis or collapse
Lift, take up by hand, as in Please pick up that book from the floor. [Early 1300s]
2
Collect or gather, as in First they had to pick up the pieces of broken glass.
3
Tidy, put in order, as in Let's pick up the bedroom, or I'm always picking up after Pat. [Mid-1800s]
4
Take on passengers or freight, as in The bus picks up commuters at three stops.
5
Acquire casually, get without great effort or by accident. For example, I picked up a nice coat at the sale, or She had no trouble picking up French. This usage is even extended to contracting diseases, as in I think I picked up the baby's cold. [Early 1500s]
6
Claim, as in He picked up his laundry every Friday.
7
Buy, as in Please pick up some wine at the store on your way home.
8
pick up the bill or check or tab. Accept a charge in order to pay it, as in They always wait for us to pick up the tab. [Colloquial; mid-1900s]
9
Increase speed or rate, as in The plane picked up speed, or The conductor told the strings to pick up the tempo.
10
Gain, as in They picked up five yards on that pass play.
11
Take into custody, apprehend, as in The police picked him up for burglary. [Colloquial; second half of 1800s]
12
Make a casual acquaintance with, especially in anticipation of sexual relations, as in A stranger tried to pick her up at the bus station. [Slang; late 1800s]
13
Come upon, find, detect, as in The dog picked up the scent, or They picked up two submarines on sonar, or I can't pick up that station on the car radio.
14
Resume, as in Let's pick up the conversation after lunch.
15
Improve or cause to improve in condition or activity, as in Sales picked up last fall, or He picked up quickly after he got home from the hospital, or A cup of coffee will pick you up. [1700s]
16
Gather one's belongings, as in She just picked up and left him.
17
pick oneself up. Recover from a fall or other mishap, as in Jim picked himself up and stood there waiting. [Mid-1800s] Also see the subsequent entries beginning with pick up.