sit up
verb- To assume a sitting position from a position lying down. · Despite being cancer-ridden, Lorin sat up to greet the visitors.
- To sit erect. · Sit up straight, mister!
- To show sudden interest or surprise. · He sat up when we mentioned the increased pay package.
- To bounce, especially to a comfortable height.
- To not go to bed (notionally remaining in a sitting position). · I sat up all night waiting for her to come home.
- To stop pedalling hard. · Half way up the climb, Jones sat up and let Smith continue alone.
- For a young lady to open her house for several successive nights for any visitors who wish to pay their respects.
From the library
“I don’t mind floating down when there’s two or three of us in the flat and we can sit up.
Prissy Andrews told me that she sat up half the night every night of her Entrance week and crammed for dear life; and I had determined to sit up _at least_ as long as she did.
“You did just splendidly, Anne,” puffed Diana, recovering sufficiently to sit up and speak, for Anne, starry eyed and rapt, had not uttered a word.
And it’ll fetch things when you throw them, and it’ll sit up and beg for its dinner, and all sorts of things—I can’t remember half of them—and it belongs to a farmer, you know, and he says it’s so useful, it’s worth a hundred pounds!
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