noun, noun, used as a suffix
picking up; gathering; person who picks things up
Refers to the act of picking up or gathering things, or a person who does so. Often used in compounds like 落ち葉拾い (gathering fallen leaves) or 貝拾い (shell gathering).
子供たちは海岸で貝拾いを楽しんだ。
The children enjoyed shell gathering on the beach.
彼は道端で小銭拾いをしていた。
He was picking up small change on the roadside.
noun
type-picking
Printing term: the process of picking individual type pieces for composition. Cross-referenced with 文選.
See also: 文選
活版印刷では、文選工が拾いを行う。
In letterpress printing, a type-picker performs type-picking.
noun
Honorific usage, typically with the prefix お (お拾い). Used to refer to someone's walking in a respectful manner.
お拾いの途中でお会いしました。
I met you while you were out walking.
拾い is the noun form of the verb 拾う (to pick up). 拾い can also be a suffix meaning 'gathering' or 'picking up', while 拾う is the action itself.
文選 is the broader printing term for type selection/composition, while 拾い specifically refers to the picking of individual type pieces.
Noun form of the verb 拾う (ひろう, 'to pick up'), derived from its continuative form (連用形). The honorific sense is a specialized usage with the prefix お.