noun / adjective

pickup

The act of collecting someone or something.

I schedule a pickup for the boxes outside my apartment.

Etymology

The compound turns pick up, to collect or take along, into a noun. It names the act of gathering a person or item for transport.

More examples

  • The school changes its pickup time on Fridays.
  • Your groceries are ready for curbside pickup.
  • The city offers two free furniture pickups each year.

Forms

pickup · pickups

Similar words

collection
Also covers gathering many items over time, unlike a scheduled pickup.
retrieval
Emphasizes getting something back or recovering it from somewhere.