tup

1 of 2

noun

1
chiefly British : ram sense 1a
2
: a heavy metal body (such as the weight of a pendulum)

tup

2 of 2

verb

tupped; tupping

transitive verb

chiefly British
: to copulate with (a ewe)

Examples of tup in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
In contrast, the surrounding hillside is dreamily serene: A modest herd of cattle browses in one field, clusters of tups (rams) and ewes with lambs in the others. Kieran Dodds, Smithsonian, 20 Apr. 2018 Faced with that reality, hill farmers tend to focus on producing prize breeding stock, the tups responsible for show-winning bloodlines. Kieran Dodds, Smithsonian, 20 Apr. 2018

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English tupe

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1604, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tup was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near tup

Cite this Entry

“Tup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tup. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!