tup
/tʌp/
Definition
- Noun:
- An uncastrated adult male sheep; a ram: "tup" specifically refers to an intact male sheep kept primarily for breeding purposes. This is the primary and most common meaning.
- A heavy metal head or hammer: In mechanical contexts, "tup" can refer to the striking mass or ram of a forging hammer or pile driver.
Usage and Examples
- Noun (Animal):
- The farmer brought in a new tup to improve the flock's genetics.
- During mating season, the tup is separated from the ewes.
- Noun (Mechanical):
- The machine's tup delivers the force needed to shape the metal.
- The pile driver's tup slammed into the beam.
Advanced Usage and Notes
- Regional Usage: The term "tup" is chiefly British. In American English, "ram" is the more common term for the animal.
- Verb Form (rare/archaic): As a verb, "to tup" means for a male sheep to mate with a ewe. This usage is now considered specialized or archaic.
- The ram will tup the ewes in the autumn.
Variants and Related Words
- Ram: The more general synonym for an uncastrated male sheep.
- Buck: A male goat, deer, or rabbit. Not used for sheep.
- Ewe: An adult female sheep.
- Wether: A castrated male sheep.
Synonyms
- Ram: The direct and most common synonym for the animal.
- Male sheep: A descriptive synonym.
Idioms and Phrases
- (To be) like a tup in a halter: An old British dialect phrase suggesting someone is awkward, stubborn, or struggling against restraint, akin to a powerful ram being led.
Noun
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uncastrated adult male sheep
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a British term is `tup'
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