pickup

noun

pick·up | \ ˈpik-ˌəp

Definition of pickup

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : one that is picked up: such as

a : a hitchhiker who is given a ride

b : a temporary chance acquaintance

c : a player acquired from another team

2 : the act or process of picking up: such as

a : a revival of business activity

b : acceleration

c : the act or technique of making the acquaintance of a previously unknown person especially for amorous purposes

3 : the conversion of mechanical movements into electrical impulses in the reproduction of sound also : a device (as on an electric guitar) for making such conversion

4a : the reception of sound or an image into a radio or television transmitting apparatus for conversion into electrical signals

b : a device (such as a microphone or a television camera) for converting sound or the image of a scene into electrical signals

5 : a light truck having an enclosed cab and an open body with low sides and tailgate

— called also pickup truck

6 : a pickup game playing pickup

pickup

adjective

Definition of pickup (Entry 2 of 3)

: utilizing or comprising local or available personnel especially without formal organization a pickup basketball game a pickup band

pick up

verb

Definition of pick up (Entry 3 of 3)

transitive verb

1a : to take hold of and lift up

b : to gather together : collect picked up all the pieces

c : to clean up : tidy

2 : to take (passengers or freight) into a vehicle

3a : to acquire casually or by chance picked up a valuable antique at an auction

b : to acquire by study or experience : learn picking up a great deal of knowledge in the process— Robert Schleicher

c : to obtain especially by payment : buy picked up some groceries

d : to acquire (a player) especially from another team through a trade or by financial recompense

e : to accept for the purpose of paying offered to pick up the tab

f : to come down with : catch picked up a cold

g : gain, earn picked up a few yards on the last play picked up her first victory

4a : to enter informally into conversation or companionship with (a previously unknown person) had a brief affair with a girl he picked up in a bar

b : to take into custody the police picked up the fugitive

5a : to catch sight of : perceive picked up the harbor lights

b : to come to and follow picked up the outlaw's trail

c : to bring within range of sight or hearing pick up distant radio signals

d : understand, catch didn't pick up the hint

6a : revive

b : increase

7 : to resume after a break : continue pick up the discussion tomorrow

8 : to assume responsibility for guarding (an opponent) in an athletic contest

9 : to provide needed support or assistance to (someone who has faltered or failed, such as a teammate who has made an error) in a collaborative effort … Burns allowed only five hits and did not issue a walk. She also picked up her teammates after several fielding errors.— John Knebels We have faith. We don't panic. Even in all these one-run ballgames, we have trust in each other that we're going to pull it out. We pick each other up. On days we're not pitching it great, our offense gets going and vice versa.— Marco Gonzales

intransitive verb

1 : to recover or increase speed, vigor, or activity : improve after the strike, business picked up the wind began to pick up

2 : to put things in order was always picking up after her

3 : to pack up one's belongings couldn't just pick up and leave

pick up on

1a : understand, appreciate

b : to become aware of : notice

2 : to adopt as one's own : take up

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about pickup

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Synonyms & Antonyms for pickup

Synonyms: Verb

get, learn, master

Antonyms: Verb

unlearn

Examples of pickup in a Sentence

Noun

The fee pays for garbage pickup. The school bus was late for its afternoon pickup. The truck is scheduled to make a pickup today.

Adjective

He plays with pickup bands at nightclubs. What's the pickup scene like in this city?

Verb

he has a knack for picking up a language in a few weeks pick up all of your things because we have to be off this beach before dark

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

At sunrise that rainy morning, an al-Shabaab fighter drove a pickup truck toward COP Conrad. — Michael M. Phillips, WSJ, "America’s Other Endless War: Battling al-Shabaab in Somalia," 17 Jan. 2019 Sports and muscle cars, along with pickup trucks and SUVs, will be at center stage. — Chester Dawson, WSJ, "As Demand for Small Cars Weakens, More Auto Makers Drop Them From U.S. Lineups," 13 Jan. 2019 Those range estimates are each slightly higher than what Rivian expects its pickup truck to be able to get out of the same battery packs. — Sean O'kane, The Verge, "Rivian’s R1S SUV looks like an all-electric Land Rover," 27 Nov. 2018 Isis militants stormed Mosul in June 2014, riding in from Syria in pickup trucks. — Sophia Jones, Marie Claire, "The Truth About The Wives of ISIS," 4 Oct. 2018 One of the deceased victims was in the car that hit the pickup truck. — Fox News, "3 people killed, 24 injured after multi-vehicle crash involving tour bus in New Mexico," 2 Oct. 2018 An Islamic State propaganda video released in October 2017 allegedly showing militants with an anti-tank missile in the back of a pickup truck outside Qaryatain, Syria. — Ben Kesling, WSJ, "Powerful Antitank Missiles Put U.S. Forces in Middle East at Risk," 2 Jan. 2019 The point is to rethink what a pickup truck can accomplish, both on and off the road. — Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, "The Bollinger B2 Is the Beefy Electric Truck We've Been Waiting For," 10 Oct. 2018 The Sandoval County Sheriff's Office said that the incident began at around 2 a.m. when a car struck a pickup truck from behind just north of Bernalillo, about 18 miles north of Albuquerque. — Fox News, "3 people killed, 24 injured after multi-vehicle crash involving tour bus in New Mexico," 2 Oct. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Democrats are struggling for traction in a series of contests that should be prime pickup opportunities — on paper, at least. — Steve Peoples, Fox News, "Overconfident? Dem optimism surges as midterms approach," 22 Sep. 2018 In our Lab's test, this GH Seal star exhibited excellent pickup of oatmeal, baking soda, orzo pasta, and sand on our bare floor — and its pickup performance on carpet was also good. — Sarah Bogdan, Good Housekeeping, "The 5 Best Robot Vacuums, According to Cleaning Experts," 21 Nov. 2018 Officials did confirm that five vehicles were involved, including three pickup trucks. — Nathan J. Fish, azcentral, "Serious crash involving 5 vehicles shuts Phoenix intersection," 13 July 2018 Tesla's forthcoming electric pickup truck will have standard four-wheel-drive and a high-tech suspension that enables a smooth ride, CEO Elon Musk promised Tuesday. — Nathan Bomey, USA TODAY, "Tesla CEO Elon Musk: Electric pickup truck will have 'crazy' features," 26 June 2018 Democrats have a solid pickup opportunity in Colorado, a Clinton state whose incumbent Republican Sen. Cory Gardner has done nothing to differentiate himself from Trump and the national party. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "Democrats need some 2020 Senate candidates," 6 Dec. 2018 The acquisition of Spin is another sign that Ford doesn’t want to be seen as just a car (or pickup truck) company. — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, "Ford adds electric scooter startup to its growing mobility collection," 8 Nov. 2018 Allen took an unofficial visit to UK’s campus in June but was unable to play in pickup games with the current Wildcats as originally planned due to a minor injury. — Jon Hale, The Courier-Journal, "Pendleton County star Dontaie Allen shines as Calipari and Mack watch," 14 July 2018 All of it signals a battle ahead for the midsize pickup market share, analysts said. — Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, "General Motors topping Ford in pickup market share," 12 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The idea that Flynn didn’t lie to the FBI picked up steam after Republicans on the House intelligence committee issued a report last year. — Eric Tucker, The Seattle Times, "AP FACT CHECK: Trump’s untruths on Russia probe, wall, jobs," 6 Feb. 2019 Ever since Phoebe Philo turned the pearl from a traditional jewelry staple to a modern must-have, designers and shoppers have picked up on the unexpected appeal of the freshwater gems. — Madeline Fass, Vogue, "Forget Diamonds: Why Pearls Are the Perfect Valentine’s Day Gift," 28 Jan. 2019 For years, Washington has warned U.S. intelligence has picked up on indications Russia is secretly violating the 1987 INF Treaty. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Russia Defends New Cruise Missile, Says It Doesn't Violate Any Arms-Control Treaties," 24 Jan. 2019 Visit any Nespresso boutique or partner store (including Sur La Table and Williams-Sonoma) or pick up a free pod-recycling bag online that comes with a prepaid UPS shipping label. — Alissa Katz, Good Housekeeping, "How to Dispose of Everything, Including Old Cell Phones, Mattresses, and Batteries," 8 Jan. 2019 That’s where Aquaman’s post-credits scene picks up. — Alex Abad-santos, Vox, "Aquaman’s post-credits scene, explained," 21 Dec. 2018 An analyst said that, as SolarCity's sales have faltered, large regional solar installers have picked up the bulk of the slack. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "Tesla’s SolarCity lost ground to Sunrun in 2018," 21 Dec. 2018 Herbert was able to avoid obstacles, identify and pick up cans, and drop them in a recycling bin by relying on only 15 simple rules. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "DARPA Wants to Turn Insect Brains into Robot Brains," 10 Jan. 2019 That split held up in the 2018 midterms, even as Democrats picked up seats elsewhere around the country. — Jess Bravin, WSJ, "Supreme Court Again to Consider Partisan Gerrymandering," 4 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pickup.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.