bring up
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Forms: form: brings up
form: bringing up
form: brought up
form: brought up
Etymology: From Middle English bring up, dissimilated from Middle English upbringen (“to bring up, raise”). Doublet of upbring.
Senses: examples: text: When you're in the basement, can you bring up the paints?
text: "[…]and as Mr. H., with his long purse and his willingness to receive hints, is no bad card in the game, he has been brought up to Abbotsford for a week; his taciturnity has long ago fled, and he is one of the most loquacious Borderers going. […]"
ref: 1951 February, Michael Robbins, “Sir Walter Scott and Two Early Railway Schemes”, in Railway Magazine, page 90:
text: This case was brought up by writ of error from the Circuit Court of the United States for the District of New Jersey.
ref: 1953, United States Supreme Court, John Den ex dem. Archibald Russell v. The Association of the Jersey Company, reprinted in the United States Reports, volume 56, page 426
glosses: Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see bring, up: To bring from a lower to a higher position.
examples: text: Don't bring up politics if you want to have a quiet conversation with that guy.
glosses: To mention.
examples: text: In the present writer's opinion there was no greater and more successful locomotive engineer in the country, during the first quarter-century, than George Jackson Churchward of the Great Western Railway. This statement is made without prejudice, for I was brought up on the other line extending from Waterloo to Padstow, and between Swindon and Eastleigh there was a great gulf fixed.
ref: 1957 July 24, C. Hamilton Ellis, “Six Decades of Locomotives”, in Railway Magazine, page 471:
text: ‘[…] I remember a lady coming to inspect St. Mary's Home where I was brought up and seeing us all in our lovely Elizabethan uniforms we were so proud of, and bursting into tears all over us because “it was wicked to dress us like charity children”.[…]’.
ref: 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 6, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
text: She did well enough bringing up two sons and a daughter on her own.
glosses: To raise or rear (children).
examples: text: A short Internet search brought up some amazing details of this story.
glosses: To uncover, to bring from obscurity; to resurface (e.g. a memory)
examples: text: Wait a minute while I bring up my computer.
glosses: To turn on power or start, as of a machine.
examples: text: Anyone who's been tasked with bringing up a board knows how trying it is.
topics: business
electrical-engineering
electricity
electromagnetism
electronics
energy
engineering
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
physics
glosses: To check (a newly-assembled printed circuit board) for errors.
examples: text: I was very ill today; I kept bringing up everything I ate.
glosses: To vomit.
examples: text: "[…]Mr. Wolfe, I beg you—I beg of you—"
I was sure she was going to cry and I didn't want her to. But Wolfe brusquely brought her up:
"That's all, Miss Barstow.[…]"
ref: 1934, Rex Stout, Fer-de-Lance, Bantam, published 1992, →ISBN, page 91:
text: "No," Maeniel shouted, "No!" trying to distract the man, and lunged toward him. The chain on his ankle brought him up short and he fell on his face.
ref: 1999, Alice Borchardt, Night of the Wolf, Ballantine, →ISBN, page 260:
glosses: To stop or interrupt a flow or steady motion.
examples: text: Warner smacked a four over midwicket to bring up his century.
topics: ball-games
cricket
games
hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: To reach a particular score, especially a milestone.
examples: text: The book [The Gilded Hearse] was brought up on obscenity charges, partly as a result of the gay content, but a New York magistrate dismissed the charges.
ref: 2001, Susan Stryker, Queer Pulp, page 14:
glosses: To legally charge and put on trial; to position (someone) for judgement or examination by authority.
topics: media
printing
publishing
glosses: To level type or make it ready for printing by overlaying it.
glosses: To prepare a vein for an injection.
Synonyms: sense: uncover, resurface
word: bring back
Related terms: sense: raise children
word: upbringing
word: bring up the rear
word: bring up to