picker-up

7.4

A person who collects litter from places like beaches or parks

noun

Archaic

: recogedor

She became known as the local picker-up after organizing weekly beach sweeps.

Examples

Volunteers acted as picker-ups during the city's annual park cleanup.
Every Saturday, a local picker-up cleans the beach.
The picker-up of the litter was praised by the community for their efforts.
The picker-up collected trash from the park.
Every Saturday, a local picker-up cleans the beach, helping to keep it beautiful.
Volunteers acted as picker-ups during the city's annual park cleanup to improve the environment.
The picker-up of the litter was praised by the community for their dedicated efforts.

Synonyms

picker

vspicker-up

20 1.4

A person who chooses or gathers items, often fruit

collects rubbish mainly from a place rather than harvesting edible crops or fruit

scavenger

vspicker-up

20 5.5

A person who searches through trash for things to reuse or sell

collects rubbish from a place mainly to remove it rather than to search for resale

garbage man

vspicker-up

19 1.7

A person who collects trash from homes and takes it away

is the neutral concept for anyone collecting litter from a place, not only men

gatherer

vspicker-up

19 3.2

A person who collects wild plants and berries for a living

focuses specifically on removing rubbish or litter from a particular place

sweeper

vspicker-up

13 1.3

A person who cleans floors or streets using a broom

collects items and litter from a place rather than just brushing surfaces clean

garbageman

vspicker-up

6 3.0

A person who collects trash from homes or shops

is the general term for anyone who collects litter in a place regardless of gender

garbage collector

vspicker-up

4 2.1

A person who collects and removes trash from homes and businesses

may be any person who collects litter in a place, not necessarily a worker

street sweeper

vspicker-up

4 2.1

A person who works for the city to clean streets

collects litter from a particular place, while this role focuses on general street cleaning

recycler

vspicker-up

4 3.0

A person, company, or machine that collects and prepares used materials to be used again

gathers items from a place without necessarily processing them for reuse or sale

scooper

vspicker-up

4 2.7

A small bowl-shaped tool used to lift and serve soft foods like ice cream

collects items from a place without relying on a bowl shaped implement

disposer

vspicker-up

1 4.3

A person or machine that gets rid of waste, especially food scraps

collects items and litter from a place rather than concentrating on elimination

trashman

vspicker-up

1 3.3

A person who collects trash and looks for things to use again or sell

removes rubbish from a place mainly for disposal, not always to find resale items

magpie

vspicker-up

1 8.1

A person who often collects small old things other people discard

collects rubbish from a place as a task rather than keeping items for interest

ragpicker

vspicker-up

Archaic

1 9.9

A person who collects old clothes and scraps from streets to sell

collects a wide variety of rubbish from a place rather than focusing on rags

junker

vspicker-up

1 8.1

A person who collects and fixes old broken things to sell or keep

collects rubbish from a place chiefly to clear it, not to repair or profit

refuse collector

vspicker-up

1 3.1

A person who collects and takes away rubbish from homes and businesses

is any person who gathers litter in a place, not only formal waste workers

garbage woman

vspicker-up

1 2.8

A woman who collects and takes away trash from homes and streets

is the broader concept for any person collecting litter in a place, not only women

garbo

vspicker-up

Australian

1 9.5

A person who collects rubbish from outside people's houses

is the neutral phrase for a person who collects litter from a place

binman

vspicker-up

1 4.9

A person who collects rubbish from bins outside homes

collects litter from a particular place generally, not only from outside homes

dustman

vspicker-up

1 6.1

A person who collects and takes away household rubbish

is the general term for anyone who collects litter in a place regardless of gender

garbage hauler

vspicker-up

1 3.0

A person or company that collects and takes away trash

focuses on collecting litter in a place rather than on transport or company operation

gleaner

vspicker-up

1 7.7

A person who carefully gathers small amounts of information or resources

collects items from one place directly rather than slowly accumulating them

ragman

vspicker-up

Archaic

1 9.9

A person who goes door to door collecting old clothes to sell

collects general rubbish in a place rather than specifically gathering materials to sell

junkman

vspicker-up

1 5.1

A person who collects old things to sell or throw away

collects litter from a place mainly to remove it, not primarily to trade or resell

garbagewoman

vspicker-up

6.0

A woman who collects trash from homes and shops

uses a general, gender neutral term for someone who collects litter in a place

dustwoman

vspicker-up

9.1

A woman who collects and takes away household rubbish

is the neutral concept for someone who collects litter in a place regardless of gender

garbage carter

vspicker-up

4.9

A person who collects and takes away rubbish from homes

refers to anyone who gathers rubbish in a place, not only workers with carts

canner

vspicker-up

6.0

A person who collects empty metal cans to sell or recycle

collects many types of litter in a place, not only metal containers for sale

scrapper

vspicker-up

4.8

A person who collects and sells scrap metal and old appliances

collects various rubbish from a place for removal rather than for selling scrap

reclaimer

vspicker-up

5.3

A person or machine that takes useful materials from waste to use again

focuses on collecting rubbish in a place rather than actively restoring materials

bucketer

vspicker-up

8.2

A person or machine that uses a bucket to move things

collects items by simple gathering rather than using a bucket or machine

raker

vspicker-up

5.1

A person or machine that uses a rake to gather leaves

collects items in a place without using a rake or tined tool specifically

Antonyms

litterer

3.7

A person who drops rubbish in public places where it is not allowed

Surface Forms

picker-up singular

picker-ups plural

Morphology

picker-up = pick up (transparent) = pick + up + er

The agentive formation from the phrasal verb 'pick up' to mean 'a person who picks up items' follows a regular and easily understood pattern.

Etymology

Picker-up comes from the simple verb pick and the small word up, so it literally names someone who 'picks up' things. That's why a picker-up is a person who collects items, especially rubbish, from a place.