pick-up

1. Also called: pick-up arm or tone arm the light balanced arm of a record player that carries the wires from the cartridge to the preamplifier

2. (Pop Music) an electromagnetic transducer that converts the vibrations of the steel strings of an electric guitar or other amplified instrument into electric signals

3. (Electronics) another name for cartridge³

4. (Automotive Engineering) Also called: pick-up truck a small truck with an open body and low sides, used for light deliveries

5. (Automotive Engineering) informal chiefly US an ability to accelerate rapidly: this car has good pick-up.

6. informal a casual acquaintance, usually one made with sexual intentions

7. informal

a. a stop to collect passengers, goods, etc

b. the people or things collected

8. slang a free ride in a motor vehicle

9. informal an improvement

10. slang a pick-me-up

adj

US and Canadian organized, arranged, or assembled hastily and without planning: a pick-up band; pick-up games.

vb (adverb)

11. (tr) to gather up in the hand or hands

12. (tr) to acquire, obtain, or purchase casually, incidentally, etc

13. (tr) to catch (a disease): she picked up a bad cold during the weekend.

14. (intr) to improve in health, condition, activity, etc: the market began to pick up.

15. (reflexive) to raise (oneself) after a fall or setback

16. (tr) to notice or sense: she picked up a change in his attitude.

17. to resume where one left off; return to: we'll pick up after lunch; they picked up the discussion.

18. (tr) to learn gradually or as one goes along

19. (tr) to take responsibility for paying (a bill): he picked up the bill for dinner.

20. (tr) informal to reprimand: he picked her up on her table manners.

21. (tr) to collect or give a lift to (passengers, hitchhikers, goods, etc)

22. (tr) informal to become acquainted with, esp with a view to having sexual relations

23. (Law) (tr) informal to arrest

24. to increase (speed): the cars picked up down the straight.

25. (Telecommunications) (tr) to receive (electrical signals, a radio signal, sounds, etc), as for transmission or amplification

26. pick up the pieces to restore a situation to normality after a crisis or collapse

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pick-up

, pick-up dinner - A pick-up or pick-up dinner is one made up of leftovers.

pick-up

noun

1. improvement, recovery, rise, gain, rally, strengthening, revival, upturn, change for the better, upswing a pick-up in the housing market

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

pick-up

[ˈpɪkʌp]

A. N

1. (Mus)

1.1. (on instrument) → pastilla f; (on microphone) → toma f de sonidos

1.2. (also pick-up arm) → brazo m (del tocadiscos)

2. (also pick-up truck) → furgoneta f, camioneta f

3. (= collection) to make a pick-up [truck driver, drug runner] → recoger algo
the bus made three pick-ups → el autobús hizo tres paradas para recoger a gente

4. (= recovery) (in economy, trade, sales) → mejora f; (in prices) → subida f

5. (= pick-me-up) → estimulante m

6. (sexual) to him it was just a pick-up → él no quería más que ligar con ella
a pick-up joint → un garito de ligue

7. (Aut) (= acceleration) → facilidad f de aceleración

B. CPD pick-up joint N → bar m de ligoteo
pick-up point N (for people) → parada f; (for goods) → punto m de recogida

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

pick-up

→ Tonabnehmer m; pick-up arm → Tonarm m

(also pick-up truck) → Kleinlieferwagen m, → Kleintransporter m

(inf: = acquaintance) → Bekanntschaft f; with his latest pick-up → mit seiner neusten Errungenschaft; he’s just looking for a pick-up → er will nur eine aufreißen (inf)

(= collection) → Abholen nt; he was late for the pick-up → er kam zu spät zum Treffpunkt; the mail van makes 3 pick-ups a day → der Postwagen kommt dreimal täglich(, um die Post abzuholen); the bus makes four pick-ups → der Bus hält viermal(, um Leute aufzunehmen); pick-up point (for excursion) → Sammelstelle f, → Treffpunkt m; (on regular basis) → Haltestelle f

(= improvement) → Verbesserung f; (= increase) → Ansteigen nt

(= acceleration) → Beschleunigung f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

pick-up

[ˈpɪkˌʌp] n

a. (Brit) (on record player) (also pick-up arm) → pick-up m inv

b. (also pick-up truck) → camioncino

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

pick¹

(pik) verb

1. to choose or select. Pick the one you like best.

2. to take (flowers from a plant, fruit from a tree etc), usually by hand. The little girl sat on the grass and picked flowers.

3. to lift (someone or something). He picked up the child.

4. to unlock (a lock) with a tool other than a key. When she found that she had lost her key, she picked the lock with a hair-pin.

noun

1. whatever or whichever a person wants or chooses. Take your pick of these prizes.

2. the best one(s) from or the best part of something. These grapes are the pick of the bunch.

ˈpickpocket noun

a person who steals from people's pockets. He kept his wallet in his hand because he knew there would be pickpockets in the crowd.

ˈpick-up noun

1. a type of small lorry or van.

2. the part of a record-player that holds the stylus.

pick and choose

to select or choose very carefully. When I'm buying apples, I like to pick and choose (the ones I want).

pick at

to eat very little of (something). He was not very hungry, and just picked at the food on his plate.

pick someone's brains

to ask (a person) questions in order to get ideas, information etc from him which one can use oneself. You might be able to help me with this problem – can I come and pick your brains for a minute!

pick holes in

to criticize or find faults in (an argument, theory etc). He sounded very convincing, but I'm sure one could pick holes in what he said.

pick off

to shoot (especially people in a group) one by one. He picked off the enemy soldiers.

pick on

1. to choose (someone) to do a usually difficult or unpleasant job. Why do they always pick on me to do the washing-up?

2. to speak to or treat (a person) angrily or critically. Don't pick on me – it wasn't my fault.

pick out

1. to choose or select. She picked out one dress that she particularly liked.

2. to see or recognize (a person, thing etc). He must be among those people getting off the train, but I can't pick him out.

3. to play (a piece of music), especially slowly and with difficulty, especially by ear, without music in front of one. I don't really play the piano, but I can pick out a tune on one with one finger.

pick someone's pocket

to steal something from a person's pocket. My wallet has gone – someone has picked my pocket!

pick a quarrel/fight with (someone)

to start a quarrel, argument or fight with (someone) on purpose. He was angry because I beat him in the race, and he tried to pick a fight with me afterwards.

pick up

1. to learn gradually, without formal teaching. I never studied Italian – I just picked it up when I was in Italy.

2. to let (someone) into a car, train etc in order to take him somewhere. I picked him up at the station and drove him home.

3. to get (something) by chance. I picked up a bargain at the shops today.

4. to right (oneself) after a fall etc; to stand up. He fell over and picked himself up again.

5. to collect (something) from somewhere. I ordered some meat from the butcher – I'll pick it up on my way home tonight.

6. (of radio, radar etc) to receive signals. We picked up a foreign broadcast last night.

7. to find; to catch. We lost his trail but picked it up again later; The police picked up the criminal.

pick up speed

to go faster; to accelerate. The car picked up speed as it ran down the hill.

pick one's way

to walk carefully (around or between something one wishes to avoid touching etc). She picked her way between the puddles.

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