# pickup

Pronunciation: say "PIK-up" /ˈpɪkʌp/

## Noun

1. Short for pickup truck. *(Canada, Singapore, US)* — Ellipsis of pickup truck.
   - Simple: Short for pickup truck. It is a light truck with an open space in the back for carrying things.
   - _He tossed his tools into the bed of the pickup and headed for the job site._
   - _A pickup pulled onto the shoulder, and the driver leaned out to ask if we needed help._
2. The act of collecting someone or something and taking them away, usually in a vehicle.
   - Simple: Coming to get someone or something and taking them away, usually by car or truck.
   - _Trash pickup in our neighborhood moved from Monday to Tuesday._
   - _The charity arranged a pickup of the donated furniture from our garage._
3. Arranged on the spot rather than planned, especially of a sports game or team made up of players chosen at random.
   - Simple: Put together on the spot, like a game where the players are picked at random.
   - _He spent his twenties playing pickup on outdoor courts all over the city._
   - _The singer toured with a pickup band of local musicians hired in each town._
4. An approach to someone that involves flirting, made in the hope of starting a romance, getting a date, or having sex.
   - Simple: An attempt to flirt with someone in the hope of getting a date, romance, or sex.
   - _What started as a clumsy pickup at a wedding turned into a twenty-year marriage._
   - _He thought he had perfected the art of the pickup until she laughed and walked away._
5. The period during which passengers, such as schoolchildren, are collected.
   - Simple: The time of day when children or other passengers are collected.
   - _Teachers stand by the curb at pickup to make sure each child gets into the right car._
   - _Cars back up for blocks during morning drop-off and afternoon pickup._
6. A motor vehicle's acceleration, judged by how quickly it gains speed.
   - Simple: How fast a car or other vehicle can speed up.
   - _The new engine gives the sedan noticeably better pickup when merging onto the highway._
   - _Reviewers praised the motorcycle's pickup but complained about its stiff seat._
7. An electromagnetic coil device that detects the vibrations of metal strings, such as those on an electric guitar.
   - Simple: A part with a coil and magnet that senses the shaking of metal strings, as on an electric guitar.
   - _Swapping the bridge pickup gave the old guitar a brighter, sharper tone._
   - _Each pickup sits just under the strings and senses their movement through its magnetic field._
8. An item in a video game that the player can collect to gain some benefit or effect.
   - Simple: Something in a video game that a player can grab to get a bonus or special effect.
   - _Each health pickup restores a quarter of your energy bar._
   - _Players race to collect the pickups scattered across the map before the timer runs out._
9. A win by a challenging party or candidate in an electoral district previously held by the incumbent party or candidate. *(Canada, US)*
   - Simple: A win for a party or candidate in a district that another party held before.
   - _The opposition needs a net pickup of five seats to take control of the House._
   - _The challenger's narrow win in the suburban riding was the night's only pickup for the Conservatives._
10. The state of being picked up or taken up; adoption by some person, group, or organization.
   - Simple: Being taken up and used by other people or groups.
   - _The press release got wide pickup, appearing in more than forty regional papers._
   - _Despite strong reviews, the new standard has seen slow pickup among hardware makers._
11. A person who has been successfully approached and flirted with in pursuit of romance or sex.
   - Simple: A person someone has flirted with successfully, hoping for romance or sex.
   - _Her friends teased her about last night's pickup from the hotel bar._
   - _She made it clear she had no intention of being anybody's easy pickup._
12. In a record player, the electromagnetic component that converts the vibrations of the needle into an electrical signal.
   - Simple: The part of a record player that changes the needle's shaking into an electric signal.
   - _A worn pickup can make even a spotless record sound muddy._
   - _The turntable came with a moving-magnet pickup and a spare stylus._
13. The answering of an incoming telephone call.
   - Simple: Answering the phone when it rings.
   - _The system sends the caller to voicemail if there's no pickup after five rings._
   - _The call center aims for pickup within twenty seconds of the first ring._
14. The reception of sound, vibration, or similar signals by a microphone or other detecting device.
   - Simple: How well a microphone or similar device catches sound.
   - _The lapel microphone gives clear pickup of the speaker's voice without much crowd noise._
   - _Directional pickup lets the camera's mic ignore sounds coming from behind it._
15. A relatively minor shot filmed or recorded afterward to supplement footage already shot.
   - Simple: A small extra shot filmed later to add to what was already filmed.
   - _The studio scheduled a week of pickups to fill gaps in the second act._
   - _The editor needed a pickup of the clock on the wall to bridge the two scenes._
16. In various ball games, the fielding or hitting of a ball immediately after it strikes the ground.
   - Simple: In some ball games, catching or hitting the ball just after it hits the ground.
   - _The shortstop's backhand pickup on the short hop saved a run._
   - _Pinned behind the baseline, she could only manage a forehand pickup that floated wide._

## Origin

Formed from pick + up.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/pickup (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).