Advertisement
Advertisement
pickup
[ pik-uhp ]
noun
- an improvement, as in health, business conditions, work, production, etc.
- Informal. pick-me-up.
- Informal. a casual, usually unintroduced acquaintance, often one made in hope of a sexual relationship.
- 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.
- 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.
- Automotive.
- capacity for rapid acceleration.
- acceleration; increase in speed.
- Also called pickup truck. a small truck with a low-sided open body, used for deliveries and light hauling.
- Baseball. the act of fielding a ball after it hits the ground.
- 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.
- Radio.
- the act of receiving sound waves in the transmitting set in order to change them into electrical waves.
- a receiving or recording device.
- the place from which a broadcast is being transmitted.
- Television.
- the change of light energy into electrical energy in a television camera.
- a telecast made directly from the scene of an action.
- a hitchhiker.
- Metalworking. (in the cold-drawing of metal) the adhesion of particles of the metal to the die or plug.
adjective
- composed of or employing whatever persons are available on a more or less impromptu basis:
a pickup game of baseball; a pickup dance band.
- using whatever ingredients are handy or available:
a Sunday night pickup supper.
Discover More
Word History and Origins
Origin of pickup1
Discover More
Example Sentences
It was neither the best nor worst pickup line I encountered that evening.
But some of his pickup methods might actually be criminal, according to the state of Nevada.
In his response, Cook spoke sensitively about the very real danger present in the general pickup community.
He was still working on his pickup technique, and felt there was nothing for him at university.
It combines pickup techniques supposedly inspired by evolutionary psychology with self-help pseudoscience.
The "time-machine" came to rest with a soft jar and a crashing of broken bushes that was audible through the sound pickup.
He raised his hand and waved to the news car, and when it swung its pickup around, he waved again.
It was inserted as a memorial to Samuel and Elizabeth Pickup.
The airjeep with the pickup circled back; the troops on the road and in the adjoining fields had broken.
Lieutenant Kalanang's jeep was hit; Lieutenant Vermaas is cutting in his pickup on the same wavelength.
Advertisement
Discover More
Related Words
Word of the Day
[tawr-choo-uhs ]
Meaning and examplesStart each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!
By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse