glove up
To put your gloves on before you do something important, like a doctor before an operation or a boxer before a fight.
Meanings
To put on medical gloves before performing a clinical procedure.
"The surgeon gloved up and approached the operating table."
To put on boxing or sports gloves in preparation for fighting or training.
"Both fighters gloved up and waited for the bell."
To prepare for a difficult or confrontational situation (figurative, informal).
"The lawyers gloved up for what promised to be a very aggressive cross-examination."
Used in medical, sporting (especially boxing/MMA), and manual labour contexts. Can be used humorously to mean 'prepare for a confrontation'. More common in British English in medical settings.
Commonly used with
Forms
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