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hook up

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hook someone or something up

 (to someone or something) and hook someone or something up (with someone or something)

1. Lit. to attach someone or something to someone or something. The nurse hooked the patient up to the oxygen tubes. They hooked up the patient with the tubes.

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hook someone up (with someone)

Fig. to arrange for someone to go out with someone. I hooked Alice up with Tom last year, and now they're getting married.

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hook something up

to set something up and get it working. (The object is to be connected to a power supply, electronic network, telephone lines, etc.) Will it take long to hook the telephone up? As soon as they hook up the computer to the network, I can e-mail my friends.

See also: hook, up

hook up (with somebody)

to meet someone and spend time together I was traveling alone, but then I hooked up with another woman about my age.

See also: hook, up

hook up

1. Assemble or wire a mechanism, as in Dick helped us hook up the stereo system. [1920s]

2. Connect a mechanism with a main source, as in The computer had not yet been hooked up to the mainframe. [1920s]

3. hook up with. Form a tie or association, as in She had hooked up with the wrong crowd. [Slang; mid-1900s]

See also: hook, up

hook up

v.

1. To connect or attach something to something else: We'll hook up these shelves to that wall. The plumber hooked the pipes up to the shower.

2. To assemble or wire up some mechanism: Could you help me hook up my stereo? Someone from the cable company stopped by to hook the television up.

3. To meet or associate with someone: We agreed to hook up after class. He hooked up with the wrong crowd.

4. Slang To get married: We finally hooked up after five years of living together.

5. Slang To become romantically involved with someone: I joined the dating service to try to hook up with someone.

6. Vulgar Slang To become sexually involved with someone.

See also: hook, up