limber up
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To make one's body more flexible and ready for physical exertion by performing stretching exercises.
- To attach a limber (a two-wheeled vehicle) to a gun or cannon, making it mobile.
Usage
- The primary meaning is to prepare muscles for activity through stretching.
- The secondary, more specific meaning relates to military equipment, meaning to connect a wheeled carriage to an artillery piece.
Examples
- Verb (Physical Activity):
- The athletes always limber up for at least 20 minutes before a race.
- It's important to limber up properly to avoid injury during exercise.
- Verb (Military Equipment):
- The soldiers were ordered to limber up the field guns for transport.
Advanced Usage
- "limber up for something": To prepare oneself, physically or mentally, for a demanding task.
- The speaker took a moment to limber up for the important presentation.
Variants and Related Words
- Limber (adjective): Flexible, supple.
- A dancer needs to have a limber body.
- Limber (noun): The detachable front part of a gun carriage, consisting of two wheels and an axle.
Synonyms
- Warm up: To prepare for exercise or a performance.
- Stretch: To extend one's limbs or body to improve flexibility.
- Loosen up: To become or make less stiff.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Warm up: Very similar in meaning when referring to physical preparation.
- The team warms up with light jogging and stretching.
Related Idioms
- Get into gear: To start working effectively or energetically (similar metaphorical sense of preparation).
- It took him a while to get into gear this morning.
Verb
- make one's body limber or suppler by stretching, as if to prepare for strenuous physical activity
- attach the limber
- limber a cannon