uptake

UK: /ˈʌpteɪk/ US: /ˈʌpˌteɪk/ ,(up′tāk′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

up•take /ˈʌpˌteɪk/   n. 

1. understanding or comprehension;
   mental grasp:
   [uncountable] quick on the uptake.
2. [countable] an act or instance of taking up.
3. Mechanical Engineering [countable] a flue leading upward from below, such as for conducting smoke or a current of air.
4. [uncountable] the absorption of substances, as nutrients, by the tissues of the body.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

up•take  (up′tāk′), n. 

1. apprehension;
   understanding or comprehension;
   mental grasp:
   quick on the uptake.
2. an act or instance of taking up;
   a lifting:
   the uptake of fertilizer by machines.
3. Mechanical Engineering Also called take-up. [Mach.] a pipe or passage leading upward from below, as for conducting smoke or a current of air.
4. [Physiol.] absorption.

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

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

uptake / ˈʌpˌteɪk/ noun

1. a pipe, shaft, etc, that is used to convey smoke or gases, esp one that connects a furnace to a chimney
2. another term for upcast2
3. taking up or lifting up
4. the act of accepting or taking up something on offer or available
5. quick on the uptake ⇒ quick to understand or learn
6. slow on the uptake ⇒ slow to understand or learn