What is "to pick up"

Pick \Pick\ (p[i^]k), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Picked (p[i^]kt); p. pr. & vb. n. Picking.] [OE. picken, pikken, to prick, peck; akin to Icel. pikka, Sw. picka, Dan. pikke, D. pikken, G. picken, F. piquer, W. pigo. Cf. Peck, v., Pike, Pitch to throw.]

1. To throw; to pitch. [Obs.]

   As high as I could pick my lance.
   --Shak.

2. To peck at, as a bird with its beak; to strike at with anything pointed; to act upon with a pointed instrument; to pierce; to prick, as with a pin.

3. To separate or open by means of a sharp point or points; as, to pick matted wool, cotton, oakum, etc.

4. To open (a lock) as by a wire.

5. To pull apart or away, especially with the fingers; to pluck; to gather, as fruit from a tree, flowers from the stalk, feathers from a fowl, etc.

6. To remove something from with a pointed instrument, with the fingers, or with the teeth; as, to pick the teeth; to pick a bone; to pick a goose; to pick a pocket.

   Did you pick Master Slender's purse?
   --Shak.

   He picks clean teeth, and, busy as he seems With an old tavern quill, is hungry yet.
   --Cowper.

7. To choose; to select; to separate as choice or desirable; to cull; as, to pick one's company; to pick one's way; -- often with out. ``One man picked out of ten thousand.''
   --Shak.

8. To take up; esp., to gather from here and there; to collect; to bring together; as, to pick rags; -- often with up; as, to pick up a ball or stones; to pick up information.

9. To trim. [Obs.] --Chaucer. To pick at, to tease or vex by pertinacious annoyance. To pick a bone with. See under Bone. To pick a thank, to curry favor. [Obs.] --Robynson (More's Utopia). To pick off.

   1. To pluck; to remove by picking.

   2. To shoot or bring down, one by one; as, sharpshooters pick off the enemy. To pick out.

      1. To mark out; to variegate; as, to pick out any dark stuff with lines or spots of bright colors.

      2. To select from a number or quantity. To pick to pieces, to pull apart piece by piece; hence [Colloq.], to analyze; esp., to criticize in detail. To pick a quarrel, to give occasion of quarrel intentionally. To pick up.

         1. To take up, as with the fingers.

         2. To get by repeated efforts; to gather here and there; as, to pick up a livelihood; to pick up news.

Pick \Pick\, v. i.

1. To eat slowly, sparingly, or by morsels; to nibble.

   Why stand'st thou picking? Is thy palate sore?
   --Dryden.

2. To do anything nicely or carefully, or by attending to small things; to select something with care.

3. To steal; to pilfer. ``To keep my hands from picking and stealing.''
   --Book of Com. Prayer.

   To pick up, to improve by degrees; as, he is picking up in health or business. [Colloq. U.S.]