mug up

British

verb

slang (adverb) to study (a subject) hard, esp for an exam

"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

Etymology

Origin of mug up

C19: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Grant Shapps has been appointed defence secretary, to replace Ben Wallace, meaning he has a new brief to mug up on.

From BBC • Aug. 31, 2023

Having picked the mug up, the suit wearer finds that setting the mug down gently on a nearby table is also a bit of a challenge.

From The New Yorker • May 13, 2019

Fatou brought her mug up to her lips and looked penetratingly at Andrew.

From The New Yorker • Feb. 4, 2013

Inevitably, I hop on a Virgin Express train to Wigan, availing of its complimentary Wi-Fi to mug up on my subject.

From The Guardian • Feb. 20, 2011

The others had tea in the living room, waiting for Dad’s return, and Mum had to bring the mug up to Aunt Gloria’s lips to get her to drink as if she was a baby.

From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023