What is "trip up"

Trip \Trip\, v. t.

1. To cause to stumble, or take a false step; to cause to lose the footing, by striking the feet from under; to cause to fall; to throw off the balance; to supplant; -- often followed by up; as, to trip up a man in wrestling.

   The words of Hobbes's defense trip up the heels of his cause.
   --Abp. Bramhall.

2. (Fig.): To overthrow by depriving of support; to put an obstacle in the way of; to obstruct; to cause to fail.

   To trip the course of law, and blunt the sword.
   --Shak.

3. To detect in a misstep; to catch; to convict; also called trip up. [R.]

   These her women can trip me if I err.
   --Shak.

4. (Naut.)

   1. To raise (an anchor) from the bottom, by its cable or buoy rope, so that it hangs free.

   2. To pull (a yard) into a perpendicular position for lowering it.

5. (Mach.) To release, let fall, or set free, as a weight or compressed spring, as by removing a latch or detent; to activate by moving a release mechanism, often unintentionally; as, to trip an alarm.

vb. 1 (context intransitive English) To commit an error, make a mistake. 2 (context transitive English) To cause (someone) to commit an error, trick into a mistake. 3 (context intransitive English) To fall or stumble. 4 (context transitive English) To cause (someone) to fall or stumble.

1. v. detect a blunder or misstep; "The reporter tripped up the senator" [syn: catch]

2. cause to stumble; "The questions on the test tripped him up" [syn: trip]

3. make an error; "She slipped up and revealed the name" [syn: stumble, slip up]