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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

bone up en · VERB

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (intransitive, slang) To study or cram, especially in order to refresh one's knowledge of a topic.
    • Information acquired in that way, makes an impression ; this "boning" up for an examination is all right as a finishing touch, but it will not last. 1913, William Christian Schmeisser, Are You Going To College?, page 132:
    • Now is the perfect time to bone up on your fashion history. 2004 September 14, Kate Novack, “Fashion Literacy”, in Time:
    • Here's your chance to bone up on the segregating, or crediting, or whatever you call it. 1914, Kathleen Norris, chapter 2, in Saturday's Child:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
boning up Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
bones up Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
boned up Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
boned up Tense=Past lexicographic

Relateds

ramp up

Synonyms

review · brush up · revise · rub up

Translations (6)

ru зубри́ть (to study) · el ξεσκονίζω (to study) · pl podkuwać (to study) · es quemarse las pestañas (to study) · fr potasser (to study) · pl podkuć (to study)