pickup

[pik-uhp]

noun

1. an improvement, as in health, business conditions, work, production, etc.

2. Informal.,  pick-me-up.

3. Informal.,  a casual, usually unintroduced acquaintance, often one made in hope of a sexual relationship.

4. an instance of stopping for or taking aboard passengers or freight, as by a train, ship, taxicab, etc., especially an instance of taking freight or a shipment of goods onto a truck.

5. the person, freight, or shipment so taken aboard.

   The cab driver had a pickup at the airport who wanted to be driven to the docks.

6. Automotive.

   1. capacity for rapid acceleration.

   2. acceleration; increase in speed.

   3. Also called pickup truck. a small truck with a low-sided open body, used for deliveries and light hauling.

7. Baseball.,  the act of fielding a ball after it hits the ground.

8. Also called cartridge. a small device attached to the end of a phonograph tone arm that contains a stylus and the mechanism that translates the movement of the stylus in a record groove into a changing electrical voltage.

9. Radio.

   1. the act of receiving sound waves in the transmitting set in order to change them into electrical waves.

   2. a receiving or recording device.

   3. the place from which a broadcast is being transmitted.

   4. interference.

10. Television.

    1. the change of light energy into electrical energy in a television camera.

    2. camera tube.

    3. a telecast made directly from the scene of an action.

11. a hitchhiker.

12. Metalworking.,  (in the cold-drawing of metal) the adhesion of particles of the metal to the die or plug.

adjective

1. composed of or employing whatever persons are available on a more or less impromptu basis.

   a pickup game of baseball; a pickup dance band.

2. using whatever ingredients are handy or available.

   a Sunday night pickup supper.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pickup¹

First recorded in 1855–60; noun use of verb phrase pick up

Example Sentences

And the roof tiles were last seen on a pickup truck that might or might not have left a warehouse in Arizona, or possibly New Mexico.

From Los Angeles Times

One Friday afternoon in February, Francisco Álvarez León loaded his white pickup with a basket of honey, a bottle of beer, and a bundle of yellow flowers.

From Los Angeles Times

An automatic license plate reader helped San Bernardino County and Cal Fire investigators link Halstenberg’s pickup truck to a location near the start of the Line fire.

From Los Angeles Times

Shooters opened fire from pickup truck beds and atop ladders, used drones to spy on targets and maintained caches of automatic weapons in storage units.

From Los Angeles Times

“KPop Demon Hunters” “The field is led by Neon’s Cannes pickup ‘Arco,’ a delightful French space adventure.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• acceleration