Push-Up
/ˈpʊʃ ʌp/noun
An exercise in which you lower and raise your body using your arms while keeping your body straight.
Did you know?Unlike words with ancient occult roots, push-up is a modern transparent compound from the verb push + up, and its power comes from plain physical motion rather than hidden mythology.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
pyscan
“to thrust or shove”
Middle English
ME
pussen
“to push, thrust”
Early Modern English
EN
push up
“to thrust upward or elevate”
20th Century
EN
push-up
“a physical exercise performed by pressing the body upward from the floor”
Modern English
EN
push-up
“an exercise using the arms to raise and lower the body”