have up

transitive verb

chiefly British
: to bring before an authority (as a court) to answer a charge
the man had the writer up for libel
the room where new boys were examined and old ones had up for rebuke or chastisementSamuel Butler †1902
the man swore he would have them up for defamation of character

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of have up was in 1605

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Cite this Entry

“Have up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/have%20up. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.

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