tup

[ tuhp ]

noun

1. Chiefly British. a male sheep; ram.
2. the head of a falling hammerlike mechanism, as of a steam hammer or pile driver.

verb (used with object)

, tupped, tup·ping.

1. Chiefly British. (of a ram) to copulate with (a ewe).

verb (used without object)

, tupped, tup·ping.

1. Chiefly British. (of a ewe) to copulate.

tup

/ tʌp /

noun

1. an uncastrated male sheep; ram
2. the head of a pile-driver or steam hammer

verb

1. to cause (a ram) to mate with a ewe, or (of a ram) to mate with (a ewe)
2. dialect.
   to butt (someone), as in a fight

Word History and Origins

Origin of tup¹

1300–50; Middle English tope, tupe ram, of obscure origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of tup¹

C14: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

Mattie has been twice at the door wi' the dinner, and weel for you it was a tup's head, for that canna suffer by delay.

From Project Gutenberg

Aw glendurt like a stickt tup, for fear ov a dust mysel', an crope fur into th' chimbley.

From Project Gutenberg

The shearling tup is then a 2-shear tup, and the dinmont is a wether, but more correctly a 2-shear wether.

From Project Gutenberg

Anent sheep jumping hedges, I may venture here to tell a tale of a certain old rogue who went by the name of Tup-Harry.

From Project Gutenberg

As if I mattered a tup's head, the silly gomeril, bless him!

From Project Gutenberg