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Glite Dictionary
to cork up

to cork up

4.9
Close a bottle by putting a plug into its opening
  • phrasal verb
  • /kɔrk ʌp/
translation icon : taponar
  • Looks like somebody finally corked up old Finsecker.

It was filled with water and corked up to prevent evaporation.

Examples

  • After opening the wine, she decided to cork up the bottle to keep it fresh.

  • "Just to cork up the beer."

    Fiction book (1990)

  • It was filled with water and corked up to prevent evaporation.

    Evan Carmichael

  • It was filled with water and corked up to prevent evaporation.

    Evan Carmichael

  • Make sure to cork up the bottle tightly after pouring to avoid spills.

  • He quickly corked up the beverages before they went flat.

Synonyms

to cork
vsto cork up
9 3.9

To seal something by closing its opening with a stopper made from tree bark

is the two-word form used for the same action
to stopper
vsto cork up
1 4.1

To close a container by putting something in its opening

focuses on using a small traditional plug instead of any closure
to seal the container
vsto cork up
1 1.9

Close something tightly so nothing can get in or out

involves closing specifically by inserting a small traditional plug
to bung
vsto cork up
9.3

To close a container by putting a plug in its opening

specifies using a small traditional plug rather than any generic plug

How Sealed

to seal
457 2.5
to cork up
4.9
to stopper
1 4.1
plug
50 1.5
to cover
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

cork up infinitive
corked up past
corked up past participle
corking up present participle
corks up third person singular

Morphology

cork + up

The meaning 'to seal a bottle by inserting a cork' is transparently derived from 'cork' (to plug or close with a cork) combined with the particle 'up' which adds a completive/whole-action sense. This verb + particle compositional pattern is common in English (and often paralleled in other languages), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Cork up comes from the simple action of putting a cork into the top of a bottle and pushing it up to close it so the liquid stays inside and air stays out. That's why it means 'to seal a bottle or container by inserting a cork'.