Plural of pickup; light trucks with an open cargo area. Also refers to casual romantic encounters or the act of collecting something.
Compound word from 'pick' + 'up,' originally meaning 'to lift or gather.' The truck sense emerged in the 1930s from the idea of 'picking up' cargo. The romantic sense developed from the notion of 'picking up' someone for companionship.
The word 'pickup' perfectly demonstrates how English creates new meanings through metaphor - from literally picking things up, to trucks that pick up cargo, to the social action of 'picking up' romantic interests. Each meaning shares the core concept of acquiring or collecting something!
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