- warm up
- phrasal verb
Word forms "warm up":
present tense I/you/we/they warm up he/she/it warmsup present participle warmingup past tense warmedup past participle warmedup1) [transitive]same as warm III'll warm up some soup for lunch.
2) [intransitive] to become warmDrink this and you'll soon warm up.
3)a) [intransitive/transitive] to prepare for a sport or activity by doing gentle exercises or practising just before it startsThe players are already on the field warming up.
stretching exercises to warm up your calf muscles
b) [intransitive] to prepare for a particular race, game, or competition by competing in less important events firstThe boys warmed up for their big game with a 4–0 win at Derby last week.
4)a) [transitive] if you warm up a machine or an engine, you switch it on and wait for a little while until it is ready to be usedb) [intransitive] if a machine or an engine warms up, it becomes ready to be used after someone switches it onIn cold weather it takes longer for the car to warm up.
5) [intransitive/transitive] if an event or situation warms up, or if something warms it up, it starts to become enjoyable, interesting, or busyBy midnight the party had really warmed up.
6) [transitive] if a minor performer warms up an audience, they put the audience in the right mood for the main performance
English dictionary. 2014.