pick sth up
(LEARN)
B2 to learn a new skill or language by practising it rather than being taught it:
to learn interesting or useful information from someone or something:
More examples
- "Where does he pick up words like that?" "It's the company he keeps."
- It only took me an hour to pick up the rudiments of skiing.
- Don't worry if it seems difficult at first, you'll soon pick things up.
- I picked up a bit of Italian when I was staying in Pisa.
- I want to watch what you're doing to see if I can pick up any tips.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Learning & knowing
- assimilate
- audit
- autodidact
- blended learning
- bone up
- brain training
- by-heart
- deskill
- feel
- gen up
- hear tell (of) idiom
- know better (than sb) idiom
- know which side your bread is buttered (on) idiom
- knowable
- mug
- mug (sth) up
- quick
- reskill
- revision
- tell
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(BUY)
to buy something cheaply:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Buying
- acquisitiveness
- approval
- bid
- bidding war
- bite
- brand loyalty
- bulk-buy
- import
- kick the tires idiom
- load up on sth
- money-off
- on the slate idiom
- order form
- order sth in
- over the counter idiom
- send out for sth
- shop around
- shopaholic
- shopping
- stock up
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(WIN)
to win or get a prize or something that gives you an advantage, such as votes or support:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Getting, receiving and accepting
- acquihire
- acquire
- acquisition
- awardee
- carve
- draw
- fill
- get sth out of sth
- glom onto sth/sb
- go to sb
- grasp
- obtain
- pick
- score
- secure
- snatch
- snatch at sth
- target
- wangle
- wrest
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(SIGNAL)
(of a piece of electrical equipment) to receive a signal:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Communications - general words
- broadband
- buzz
- buzzer
- cable
- caller ID
- communication
- constructive interference
- cybernetics
- destructive interference
- Entryphone
- fibre optics
- fibre-optic cable
- microwave
- multimedia
- on-screen
- optical fibre
- relay
- replay
- smart card
- telegraph
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(NOTICE)
to notice and react to something:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Using the eyes
- before your very eyes idiom
- beheld
- bore
- breathe
- come to sb's attention/notice idiom
- eye
- feast
- gawk
- get a load of that! idiom
- get him, her, you, etc.! idiom
- glance
- look-see
- observational
- ogle
- out of/from the corner of your eye idiom
- passer-by
- rest
- sneak
- squint
- visual
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(ILLNESS)
to catch an illness from someone or something, caused by bacteria or a virus:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Being & falling ill
- ail
- be green around the gills idiom
- be laid up idiom
- be out of sorts idiom
- break
- bring
- burned out
- burnt out
- catch your death of cold idiom
- come down with sth
- declension
- food
- KO
- pneumonia
- prone
- relapse
- shivery
- sicken
- strike
- upset
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