Pick up or pickup?
pick up is a verb meaning “To lift; to grasp and raise”; pickup is a noun meaning “In a record player, an electromagnetic component that converts the needle…”. Use pick up as a verb and pickup as a noun. pick up is written as two words and pickup as one word; they are used differently.
What is the difference between pick up and pickup?
| pick up | pickup | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | verb, noun | noun |
| Meaning | To lift; to grasp and raise To collect or purchase an object, especially in passing | In a record player, an electromagnetic component that converts the needle vibrations into an electrical signal Electromagnetic coil receiver of metal string oscillations |
| Example | When you pick up the bag, make sure to support the bottom | This microphone has very weak pickup |
| Forms | none | pickups |
| Pronunciation | /ˈpɪkʌp/ | /ˈpɪkʌp/ |
| In writing | not counted (the list counts single words) | 7.2 times per million words |
Sources: pick up and pickup in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of pick up and pickup
pick up
- 1
To lift; to grasp and raise
When you pick up the bag, make sure to support the bottom
- 2
Alternative form of pickup
- 3
To collect or purchase an object, especially in passing
Can you pick up a pint of milk on your way home?
- 4
To acquire (something) accidentally; to catch or contract (a disease)
I picked up a cold on my trip last week
- 5
To be caught or accused of wrongdoing, usually criminal charges
He picked up a parole violation last month
- 6
To clean up; to return to an organized state
You made a mess, aren't you going to pick up after yourself?
- 7
To collect a passenger
I'll pick you up outside the library
- 8
To collect and detain (a suspect)
The cops have picked up the man they were looking for
pickup
- 1
In a record player, an electromagnetic component that converts the needle vibrations into an electrical signal
- 2
Electromagnetic coil receiver of metal string oscillations
- 3
The reception of sound, etc. by such a device
This microphone has very weak pickup
- 4
CanadaUSEllipsis of pickup truck
- 5
Impromptu or ad hoc, especially of sports games and teams made up of randomly selected players
Rather than join a basketball league, James decided to play pickup
- 6
An instance of approaching someone and engaging in romantic flirtation and courting with the intent to pursue romance, a date, or a sexual encounter
Hey, thanks for the drink, but if this is a pickup, I'm not interested
- 7
A person successfully approached in this manner for romance or sex
- 8
In various games, the fielding or hitting of a ball just after it strikes the ground
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, pick up or pickup?
pick up is a phrase, which the list of single words does not count; pickup 7.2 times per million words.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How many people search pick up vs pickup?
“pick up vs pickup” is searched about 880 times a month on Google and 70 on Bing in the United States. Google counts close variants of a query together (“pickup vs pick up”, “pick up or pickup”).
Sources: Google Ads keyword data through DataForSEO and Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, the average month from September 2025 to August 2026.