# uptake

/ˈəpˌteɪk/ (US) · /ˈʌpteɪk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/uptake
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. speed of understanding

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

the ability to understand something, usually used with 'quick' or 'slow'.

For teachers: the capacity for comprehension; almost exclusively used in the idiomatic phrases 'quick on the uptake' or 'slow on the uptake'.

- He is very quick on the uptake, so you only need to explain the rules once.
- Although the software interface was somewhat counterintuitive, the new interns proved remarkably quick on the uptake during the initial training session.

### 2. biological absorption

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical · Academic

the process of a body or plant taking in a substance like food or oxygen.

For teachers: the process by which an organism or cell absorbs a substance, such as a nutrient or a drug.

- The doctor is worried about the patient's low oxygen uptake.
- Researchers are investigating how soil acidity affects the uptake of essential minerals by cereal crops in sub-Saharan Africa.

### 3. adoption of a service

noun · CEFR B2 · Academic

the number of people who start using a new service or technology.

For teachers: the rate or degree to which a new product, service, or idea is accepted and used by a population.

- The uptake of the new vaccine has been higher than the government expected.
- Despite an aggressive marketing campaign, the initial uptake of the digital banking platform remained disappointing among older demographics.

### 4. to absorb

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to take in or absorb a substance.

For teachers: to absorb or incorporate a substance into a biological or mechanical system.

- Plants uptake carbon dioxide from the air during the day.
- The study measured how efficiently the synthetic membrane could uptake heavy metals from contaminated industrial wastewater.

### 5. a chimney pipe

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Technical

a pipe that carries smoke or steam upwards to a chimney.

For teachers: a vertical pipe or flue that carries smoke or hot gases upward from a boiler or furnace.

- The engineer inspected the uptake to ensure the steam was venting correctly.
- In older steamship designs, the uptake was a critical component for directing exhaust gases from the boiler room to the funnel.

## Examples

- The uptake of the new vaccine has been very high.
- Despite the government's marketing campaign, the initial uptake of the digital identity scheme was slower than expected.
- Researchers are monitoring the cellular uptake of the drug to determine if the delivery mechanism is efficient enough for mass production.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.