walk-up

See also: walkup and Walkup

English

Etymology

Deverbal from walk up; (northern flicker): imitative of the bird's call.

Adjective

walk-up (not comparable)

1. (of an apartment etc) Reached by stairs rather than an elevator.
2. (of a block of apartments) Containing such flats.
3. (of a service) For which no appointment is necessary.

   Synonym: walk-in

Noun

walk-up (plural walk-ups)

1. (US) An apartment or block with stairs rather than an elevator.
   • 2010, Christopher Hitchens, Hitch-22, Atlantic, published 2011, page 228:

     I became the tenant of a walk-up on East Tenth Street, on the north side of Tompkins Square, found for me by the seemingly omni-connected Ian McEwan […]

   • 2010, Jennifer Egan, “Found Objects”, in A Visit from the Goon Squad:

     They took a cab and climbed the four flights to Sasha's Lower East Side walk-up.

2. (aviation) An informal visit to a control tower by a pilot, typically used as part of pilot training.
   • 1993, Flying Magazine, volume 120, number 10, page 33:

     Pilot walk-ups welcomed for real-time satellite and radar weather imaging information.

3. A mountain that can be climbed without specialist equipment.
   • 2009, Richard Norgaard, Controlling Your Future: Six Steps To A Better Life, page 97:

     Western mountains are easy walk-ups. Eastern mountains are hard crawl-ups, but no oxygen problems.

4. A customer who arrives without a reservation; a walk-in.
   • 2015, Paul Laubach, Confessions of a Golfaholic, page 205:

     The first hour is for walk-ups only, with one foursome per hour reserved for walk-ups as well.

5. An indoor or outdoor stand where food is sold to the public.
   • 2021, Katie Takayasu, Plants First, page 266:

     Soba is […] making appearances everywhere from street food walk-ups to fine dining restaurants.

6. Colaptes auratus, northern flicker.