Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

warm-up

noun \ ˈwȯrm-ˌəp \
variants: or less commonly warmup
1 : the act or an instance of warming up; also : a preparatory activity or procedure
2 : a suit for exercise or casual wear consisting of a jacket or sweatshirt and pants —often used in plural — called also warm-up suit

See warm-up defined for kids

First Known Use of warm-up

1915

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year
NEW! Time Traveler

warm up

verb
intransitive verb
: to engage in exercise or practice especially before entering a game or contest; broadly : to get ready

First Known Use of warm up

1846

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year
NEW! Time Traveler

WARM-UP Defined for Kids

warm-up

noun \ ˈwȯrm-ˌəp \
: the act or an instance of preparing for a performance or a more strenuous activity

Medical Dictionary

warm-up

noun \ ˈwȯr-ˌməp \
: the act or an instance of warming up; also : a procedure (as a set of exercises) used in warming up

warm up

intransitive verb \ (ˈ)wȯr-ˈməp \
: to engage in preliminary exercise (as to stretch the muscles)
  • important to warm up properly before running

Learn More about warm-up

  1. See words that rhyme with warm-up Spanish Central: Translation of warm-up Nglish: Translation of warm-up for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about warm-up

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up warm-up? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

WORD OF THE DAY

vouchsafe

play

to grant as a privilege or special favor

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. socialism 'a way of organizing a society in which major industries are owned and controlled by the government'

  2. uphold 'to let stand'

  3. due process 'a course of formal proceedings (as judicial proceedings)'

  4. asylum 'protection from arrest and extradition given especially to political refugees'

  5. insubordinate 'disobedient to authority'

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

warm-up

Test Your Vocabulary

Obscure Shapes

  • a-pile-of-three-dimensional-shapes-in-green
  • Something that is ooid is shaped like:
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games