beef-up

[ beef-uhp ]
/ ˈbifˌʌp /

noun

an act or instance of strengthening or reinforcing.

Origin of beef-up

noun use of verb phrase beef up

Definition for beef up (2 of 2)

beef
[ beef ]
/ bif /

noun, plural beeves [beevz] /bivz/ for 2; beefs for 4.

the flesh of a cow, steer, or bull raised and killed for its meat.
an adult cow, steer, or bull raised for its meat.
Informal.
  1. brawn; muscular strength.
  2. strength; power.
  3. weight, as of a person.
  4. human flesh.
Slang.
  1. a complaint.
  2. an argument or dispute.

verb (used without object)

Slang. to complain; grumble.

Verb Phrases

beef up,
  1. to add strength, numbers, force, etc., to; strengthen: During the riots, the nighttime patrol force was beefed up with volunteers.
  2. to increase or add to: to beef up our fringe benefits.

Origin of beef

1250–1300; 1885–90 for def 5; Middle English < Anglo-French beof, Old French boef < Latin bov- (stem of bōs) ox, cow; akin to cow1

OTHER WORDS FROM beef

beef·less, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for beef up

beef
/ (biːf) /

noun

the flesh of various bovine animals, esp the cow, when killed for eating
plural beeves (biːvz) an adult ox, bull, cow, etc, reared for its meat
informal human flesh, esp when muscular
plural beefs a complaint

verb

(intr) slang to complain, esp repeatedly he was beefing about his tax
(tr often foll by up) informal to strengthen; reinforce

Word Origin for beef

C13: from Old French boef, from Latin bōs ox; see cow 1

Idioms and Phrases with beef up (1 of 2)

beef up

Strengthen, reinforce, as in Mary wants us to beef up her part in the play. This phrase relies on an older slang sense of beef as “muscles” or “power.” [Colloquial; late 1800s]

Idioms and Phrases with beef up (2 of 2)

beef