picks up

Picks up is the third-person singular of pick up, covering its many senses.

To pick something up is to lift it from a surface: She picks up the fallen toy.

The phrase extends to collecting: He picks up groceries on the way home.

To pick up a skill is to learn it casually.

To pick someone up can mean to give them a ride, to arrest them, or to initiate a romantic or sexual encounter.

Things pick up when they improve or accelerate: Business picks up in December.