brushup

[ bruhsh-uhp ]

noun
  1. the act or process of reviewing a subject, technique, or the like, for the purpose of renewing the memory, skill, etc.: He gave his Spanish a brushup before his trip to Mexico.

  2. the act or process of eliminating or repairing minor flaws: He gave the collection a final brushup before putting it on display.

Origin of brushup

1
First recorded in 1895–1900; noun use of verb phrase brush up

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use brushup in a sentence

  • I had me uniform to brush up an' me soord to polish,' says Father Kelly. '

    Mr. Dooley in Peace and in War | Finley Peter Dunne
  • Open the windows of rooms on first floor, brush up the floor and the halls, and sweep off the front steps.

    The Expert Maid-Servant | Cristine Terhune Herrick
  • Brush up the drawing-room or go over the floor with a carpet-sweeper, wipe up the hard-wood floors, and dust the rooms.

    The Expert Maid-Servant | Cristine Terhune Herrick
  • Anyhow, you are ducks, and I shall leave the young couple alone, and have a wash and brush-up.

    Dodo's Daughter | E. F. Benson
  • Is he not quite sure to brush up against a branch as he does so, causing the leaves to rustle?

British Dictionary definitions for brush up

brush up

verb(adverb)
  1. (tr often foll by on) to refresh one's knowledge, skill, or memory of (a subject)

  2. to make (a person or oneself) tidy, clean, or neat as after a journey

nounbrush-up
  1. British the act or an instance of tidying one's appearance (esp in the phrase wash and brush-up)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with brushup

brushup

Clean, refurbish, as in We plan to get the house brushed up in time for the party. [c. 1600]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.