a light truck with an open body and low sides and a tailboard
"After dropping off the groceries, he loaded his pickup with lumber from the construction site."
anything with restorative powers
"she needed the pickup that coffee always gave her"
a casual acquaintance; often made in hope of sexual relationships
"He met his new girlfriend at a bar, but she turned out to be just another pickup looking for a night's entertainment."
mechanical device consisting of a light balanced arm that carries the cartridge
"The old phonograph's pickup was too fragile to handle rough use, so I bought a new one immediately."
the act or process of picking up or collecting from various places
"garbage pickup is on Mondays and Thursdays"
the act of taking aboard passengers or freight
"The truck driver made several pickups along the highway before heading to the distribution center."
An electronic device for detecting sound, vibration, etc., such as one fitted to an electric guitar or record player.
"The musician adjusted the pickup on his electric guitar to get a clearer tone."
In a record player, an electromagnetic component that converts the needle vibrations into an electrical signal.
"The worn pickup in my grandfather's turntable caused the music to crackle whenever it played vinyl records."
In plain English: A pickup is an informal meeting where two people decide to hang out after talking online or on social media.
"The pickup truck sat in his driveway waiting for me to load my groceries."
Usage: Use "pickup" when referring specifically to the transducer on instruments like guitars or components in turntables that convert physical vibrations into sound signals. Do not confuse this technical term with the verb form meaning to collect someone for a ride.
A surname.
"Pickup is known as a famous American football player's family name."
The word pickup is a compound formed from the verbs pick and up. It originally referred to the act of selecting or gathering something by lifting it, but its meaning has since expanded to include collecting people or goods as well as informal romantic encounters.