pick (someone) up

1. to get someone and bring them somewhere.

I'll pick you up at the airport.

I'm just waiting to pick up the kids.

2. to meet someone you did not know and begin an informal and often sexual relationship with them.

Is that the girl who picked him up at a bar last week?

I was almost picked up by a 16-year-old last summer.

3. to get someone to play for your team.

They made trades with several teams, and picked up Davis from the Reds.

4. to put someone under the control of the police.

Police picked up 12 suspects in early-morning raids.

The police pick them up, but the judges just let them go.

• halcyon days
• hale and hearty
• half
• half a dozen
• half a loaf
• Half a loaf is better than none.
• half-arsed
• half-baked
• half-hearted
• half-heartedly
• half the battle
• halfway house
• half-wit
• half-witted
• ham-fisted
• ham it up
• hammer home
• hammer home something
• hammer out
• hammer out something
• hammer something home
• hand down
• hand down something
• hand in glove
• handle someone with kid gloves