put up

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

To suggest, to incite, "he PUT me UP to it;" he prompted me to do it. PUT UP, to stop at an hotel or a tavern for entertainment.

Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)

Where it’s used: Origin British & Irish English
Sources & notes

Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “put up” mean?

To suggest, to incite, "he PUT me UP to it;" he prompted me to do it. PUT UP, to stop at an hotel or a tavern for entertainment.

Is “put up” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.