up-and-down
[ uhp-uhn-doun ]
/ ˈʌp ənˈdaʊn /
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adjective
moving alternately up and down: the up-and-down swing of levers; an up-and-down tune.
having an uneven surface: up-and-down countryside.
changeable: up-and-down luck.
perpendicular or nearly so: a straight up-and-down hillside.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of up-and-down
First recorded in 1610–20
OTHER WORDS FROM up-and-down
up-and-downness, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use up-and-down in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for up-and-down
up-and-down
adjective
moving, executed, or formed alternately upwards and downwards
mainly US very steep; vertical
adverb, preposition up and down
backwards and forwards (along)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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