uptake
Americannoun
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apprehension; understanding or comprehension; mental grasp.
quick on the uptake.
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an act or instance of taking up; a lifting.
the uptake of fertilizer by machines.
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Also called take-up. Machinery. a pipe or passage leading upward from below, as for conducting smoke or a current of air.
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Physiology. absorption.
noun
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a pipe, shaft, etc, that is used to convey smoke or gases, esp one that connects a furnace to a chimney
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mining another term for upcast
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taking up or lifting up
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the act of accepting or taking up something on offer or available
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informal quick to understand or learn
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informal slow to understand or learn
Etymology
Origin of uptake
Vocabulary lists containing uptake
The Water Cycle - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On Wednesday, Novo Nordisk said it was seeing strong uptake of the Wegovy pill in the U.S., with more than one million people now on the drug.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
He believes a tax on AI's use would help slow its uptake by companies and would allow the government to intervene if the impact on human jobs was particularly disruptive.
From BBC • May 4, 2026
Taking creatine with carbohydrates may improve uptake by increasing insulin related transport.
From Science Daily • May 4, 2026
Novo’s head start in the market remains a challenge, and Risinger himself trimmed his estimates on Monday, citing concerns that oral Wegovy could limit Foundayo’s uptake in the U.S.
From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026
“Quick on the uptake, man. I always say that about you.”
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
