noun
uptake
UHP-tayk
noun
1
The ability to understand or grasp something quickly.
"He's quick on the uptake and rarely needs things explained twice."
"She was slow on the uptake and missed the joke entirely."
2
The absorption of something, such as a nutrient or drug, into the body or a system.
"The plant's uptake of water increases in warmer weather."
3
How widely a new idea, product, or practice is adopted.
"Uptake of the new software was slower than the company expected."
How to Use Uptake
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHow quickly someone understands something, how much something absorbs, or how widely something gets adopted, depending on context.
Common pairings
quick on the uptake
slow on the uptake
uptake of a new technology
Word Forms
uptook past tense, uptaken past tense, uptakes plural, uptakes singular
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Etymology
From Middle English uptaken, "to take up" — built from up + take.