uptake

[uhp-teyk] /ˈʌpˌteɪk/

noun

apprehension; understanding or comprehension; mental grasp:

quick on the uptake.

an act or instance of taking up; a lifting:

the uptake of fertilizer by machines.

Also called take-up. Machinery. a pipe or passage leading upward from below, as for conducting smoke or a current of air.

Physiology, absorption.

Origin

1810-20; up- + take; compare take-up

Examples from the web for uptake

Although this rarely happens, it induces buyers to spread the word among friends and family, boosting the uptake.
Most of those drugs work by slowing the uptake of signal-sending chemicals called neurotransmitters.
Sadly, the human people are slow on the uptake, and totally self-interested.
These lung cancer cells had been genetically modified to increase iodine uptake.
Toss the sprouts to maximize their uptake of dressing.
But their uptake seems to be pretty small for an online offer.
By being resourceful and quick on the uptake, you will make headway in the week ahead.

British Dictionary definitions for uptake

/ˈʌpˌteɪk/

noun

a pipe, shaft, etc, that is used to convey smoke or gases, esp one that connects a furnace to a chimney

(mining) another term for upcast (sense 2)

taking up or lifting up

the act of accepting or taking up something on offer or available

(informal) quick on the uptake, quick to understand or learn

(informal) slow on the uptake, slow to understand or learn

Word Origin and History for uptake

"capacity for understanding," 1816, from up + take. Cf. obsolete verb uptake "to pick or take up," attested from c.1300.

uptake in Medicine

uptake up·take (ŭp'tāk')
n.
The absorption by a tissue of a substance, such as a nutrient, and its permanent or temporary retention.

Slang definitions & phrases for uptake

Related Terms

quick on the draw, slow on the draw

Idioms and Phrases with uptake