Pickup

/ˈpɪkʌp/ name, noun, verb

name, noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: An electronic device for detecting sound, vibration, etc., such as one fitted to an electric guitar or record player.; In a record player, an electromagnetic component that converts the needle vibrations into an electrical signal.
  • Grammar: pickup is listed as name, noun, verb.
  • Nearest alternatives: accelerando, acceleration, acquaintance, acquisition.
  • Useful contrasts: delivery, downbeat, dropping.
  • Usage evidence: I remember riding home on a pickup truck last Sunday.

How to use "pickup"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "pickup" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "pickup" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "pickup" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "pickup" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "pickup" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "accelerando" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "pickup", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An electronic device for detecting sound, vibration, etc., such as one fitted to an electric guitar or record player.; In a record player, an electromagnetic component that converts the needle vibrations into an electrical signal. countable, uncountable
  2. 2
    the act of taking aboard passengers or freight wordnet
  3. 3
    An electronic device for detecting sound, vibration, etc., such as one fitted to an electric guitar or record player.; Electromagnetic coil receiver of metal string oscillations. countable, uncountable
  4. 4
    the act or process of picking up or collecting from various places wordnet
  5. 5
    An electronic device for detecting sound, vibration, etc., such as one fitted to an electric guitar or record player.; The reception of sound, etc. by such a device. countable, uncountable

    "This microphone has very weak pickup."

Show 20 more definitions
  1. 6
    an electro-acoustic transducer that is the part of the arm of a record player that holds the needle and that is removable wordnet
  2. 7
    Ellipsis of pickup truck. Canada, US, abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable

    "Franklin is beside himself, revving up the engine in the pickup."

  3. 8
    a light truck with an open body and low sides and a tailboard wordnet
  4. 9
    Impromptu or ad hoc, especially of sports games and teams made up of randomly selected players. attributive, countable, uncountable, usually

    "Rather than join a basketball league, James decided to play pickup."

  5. 10
    anything with restorative powers wordnet
  6. 11
    An instance of approaching someone and engaging in romantic flirtation and courting with the intent to pursue romance, a date, or a sexual encounter. countable, uncountable

    "Hey, thanks for the drink, but if this is a pickup, I'm not interested."

  7. 12
    mechanical device consisting of a light balanced arm that carries the cartridge wordnet
  8. 13
    A person successfully approached in this manner for romance or sex. countable, uncountable

    ""Good Lord! I'm not stopping you from taking on all the pick-ups that come your way.""

  9. 14
    the attribute of being capable of rapid acceleration wordnet
  10. 15
    In various games, the fielding or hitting of a ball just after it strikes the ground. countable, uncountable

    "The fourth seed was dominating her 20-year-old opponent with a series of stinging groundstrokes and athletic drive-volleys, striking again in game five when Paszek flicked a forehand pick-up into the tramlines."

  11. 16
    a warrant to take someone into custody wordnet
  12. 17
    An item that can be picked up by the player, conferring some benefit or effect; a power-up. countable, uncountable

    "Every step of the way you come across absolutely loads of aliens, pick-ups and new and weird obstacles to overcome."

  13. 18
    a casual acquaintance; often made in hope of sexual relationships wordnet
  14. 19
    The act of a challenging party or candidate winning an electoral district held by an incumbent party or candidate. Canada, US, countable, uncountable

    "The returns from the election show Apple Party candidate Jane Doe has made a pickup in the district of City West defeating Orange Party Incumbent Joe Smith"

  15. 20
    The act of answering a telephone. countable, uncountable

    "That's why the phone at the theater's on automatic pickup."

  16. 21
    A relatively minor shot filmed or recorded after the fact to augment previous footage. countable, uncountable
  17. 22
    The act of collecting and taking away something or someone, usually in a vehicle. countable, uncountable

    "A computer voice tells her that she is supposed to make a pickup in Griffith Park and deliver it to a Reverend Wayne's Pearly Gates franchise in Van Nuys."

  18. 23
    A time during which passengers, such as school children, are picked up. uncountable

    "These signs are friendly reminders for road users to slow down during drop-off and pick-up."

  19. 24
    The rate at which a motor vehicle picks up speed. uncountable

    "The Willys-Overland won't be the fastest car on the road or have the best pickup, but it will have a top speed of eighty miles per hour, and its makers are confident that no car in its class will excel it in economy of fuel and upkeep."

  20. 25
    The condition of being picked up, or taken up; adoption by some entity. uncountable

    "Newsweek gave it a big write-up, as did many trade journals, including, ^([sic]) Editor and Publisher. And our articles get pickup as far west as the Tombstone Epitaph in Arizona."

Verb
  1. 1
    Misspelling of pick up. alt-of, misspelling
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname.

Example

"I remember riding home on a pickup truck last Sunday."

Common questions

What does "pickup" mean?

An electronic device for detecting sound, vibration, etc., such as one fitted to an electric guitar or record player.; In a record player, an electromagnetic component that converts the needle vibrations into an electrical signal.

What is a synonym for "pickup"?

Common synonyms include: accelerando, acceleration, acquaintance, acquisition, advance, advancement.

How do you use "pickup" in a sentence?

I remember riding home on a pickup truck last Sunday.

How do you pronounce "pickup"?

Pronounced /ˈpɪkʌp/.

Etymology

From pick + up.

More for "pickup"