work-up
noun
an undesirable deposit of ink on a surface being printed, caused by the forcing into type-high position of quads or other spacing material.
work-up
American
[wurk-uhp]
/ ˈwɜrkˌʌp /
noun
Printing.
work up
British
verb
-
to arouse the feelings of; excite
-
to cause to grow or develop
to work up a hunger
-
(also preposition) to move or cause to move gradually upwards
-
to manipulate or mix into a specified object or shape
-
to gain knowledge of or skill at (a subject)
work up
Idioms
-
Arouse emotions; see worked up .
-
Increase one's skill, status, or responsibility through effort, as in He worked up to 30 sit-ups a day , or She worked up to bank manager . Also see work one's way . [Second half of 1600s]
-
Intensify gradually, as in The film worked up to a thrilling climax . [Second half of 1600s]
-
Develop or produce by effort, as in Swimming always works up an appetite . [Second half of 1600s]
Etymology
Origin of work-up
Noun use of verb phrase work up
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.
See Examples For:
If a patient gets a positive test, they are instructed to undergo a cancer work-up, whether that’s imaging or biopsies.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
The next time my mother tells me that something does not feel right, I will make sure her work-up is thorough and her screenings—the ones that the current evidence recommends—are current.
From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026
When Warren first met her now-husband, she sent him for a full lab work-up, HSV test included.
From Slate ● Aug. 1, 2022
Care is free and patients spend a week at the NIH Clinical Center undergoing a meticulous work-up conducted by experts from multiple specialties.
From Washington Post ● May 14, 2022
Again, doctors postponed surgery to allow for further work-up of the adrenal nodule, which was ultimately found to be benign.
From New York Times ● Nov. 15, 2021
Yet also rogue AI hacks, job losses, and the very meaning of work up for debate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
The new findings indicate that this protection may only work up to a point, said Angela Encerrado-Manriquez, the paper's lead author and a recent Ph.D. graduate from UC Davis.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
So did I work up a sweat in any of the games I played?
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
It’s not bad for someone who just a few years ago needed to work up the courage to see himself as a director.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
“I’ll work up there during the week and come back on the weekends,” he said.
From Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
