uptake

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English

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Etymology

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From Middle English uptaken (to take up, lift), partial calque of earlier Middle English upnimen (to take up, lift), equivalent to up- +‎ take. Compare Swedish upptaga, uppta (to take up).

Pronunciation

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  • (noun) IPA(key): /ˈʌpteɪk/
    • Audio (US):(file)
  • (verb) IPA(key): /ʌpˈteɪk/

Noun

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uptake (countable and uncountable, plural uptakes)

  1. Understanding; comprehension.
  2. Absorption, especially of food or nutrient by an organism.
  3. The act of lifting or taking up.
  4. (dated) A chimney.
    • 1951 January, “Notes and News: New Roof for Cricklewood M.P.D.”, in Railway Magazine, page 67:
      The design provides for continuous smoke troughs of reinforced concrete, vented by circular uptakes, and the turntable area will be covered, using precast reinforced concrete bars down both sides of each track.
  5. (dated) The upcast pipe from the smokebox of a steam boiler towards the chimney.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Verb

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uptake (third-person singular simple present uptakes, present participle uptaking, simple past uptook, past participle uptaken)

  1. (archaic) To take up, to lift.
  2. To absorb, as food or a drug by an organism.
  3. To accept and begin to use, as a new practice.

Anagrams

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