Word for lifting weights

lift /lɪft/USA pronunciation  
v. 

1. to move or bring (something) from a lower to a higher position;
   hoist:[~ + object]She lifted the child onto the chair.
2. to go up;
   rise:[no object]The fog lifted.
3. to raise or direct upward:[~ + object]lifted her eyes to the heavens.
4. to stop or put an end to:[~ + object]lifted the blockade.
5. to hold up or display on high:[~ + object]lifted his trophy to the crowd.
6. to raise in rank, condition, status, fame, etc.:[~ + object]They lifted themselves from poverty.
7. Informal Termsto plagiarize:[~ + object]The author lifted the characters and plot from another writer’s novel.
8. Informal Termsto steal:[~ + object]caught trying to lift someone’s wallet.
9. (of a pain, burden, sadness) to (cause to) be removed: [~ + object]He took drugs to lift his depression.[no object]His depression lifted quickly.

n.

1. [countable] the act of lifting, raising, or rising.
2. [uncountable] a lifting or raising force, as upward pressure on an airplane wing in flight.
3. the weight, load, or quantity lifted:[countable]The weightlifter did a lift of 500 pounds.
4. [countable] a ride in a vehicle, esp. one given to a pedestrian.
5. a feeling of happiness, excitement, encouragement, or uplift:[countable]Praise from the boss gave the staff a much-needed lift.
6. Mechanical Engineering a device for lifting:[countable]The mechanic moved the car onto a hydraulic lift.
7. Sport[countable]
   • ski lift.
   • chair lift.

8. British Terms[countable]elevator (def. 2).

Idioms

1. Idioms lift a finger or hand, [with a negative word or in a question] to exert any effort at all:They won’t lift a finger to help you.

lift 
(lift),USA pronunciation v.t. 

1. to move or bring (something) upward from the ground or other support to a higher position;
   hoist.
2. to raise or direct upward:He lifted his arm in a gesture of farewell; to lift one’s head.
3. to remove or rescind by an official act, as a ban, curfew, or tax:a court decision to lift the ban on strikes by teachers.
4. to stop or put an end to (a boycott, blockade, etc.):The citizenry will have to conserve food and water until the siege against the city is lifted.
5. to hold up or display on high.
6. to raise in rank, condition, estimation, etc.;
   elevate or exalt (sometimes used reflexively):His first book lifted him from obscurity. By hard work they lifted themselves from poverty.
7. to make audible or louder, as the voice or something voiced:The congregation lifted their voices in song.
8. to transfer from one setting to another:For the protagonist of the new play, the author has lifted a character from an early novel.
9. Informal Termsto plagiarize:Whole passages had been lifted from another book.
10. Informal Termsto steal:His wallet was lifted on the crowded subway.
11. airlift (def. 5).
12. to remove (plants and tubers) from the ground, as after harvest or for transplanting.
13. Time[Horol.](of an escape wheel) to move (a pallet) by moving along the outer, oblique face.
14. to pay off (a mortgage, promissory note, etc.).
15. Sport[Golf.]to pick up (the ball), as to move it from an unplayable lie.
16. to perform a surgical face lifting on.
17. [Shipbuilding.]
    • Naval Termsto transfer (measurements and the like) from a drawing, model, etc., to a piece being built.
    • Nauticalto form (a template) according to a drawing, model, etc.

18. to cease temporarily from directing (fire or bombardment) on an objective or area:They lifted the fire when the infantry began to advance.
19. Sport[Fox Hunting.]to take (hounds) from the line of a fox to where it has just been seen.

v.i.

1. to go up;
   yield to upward pressure:The box is too heavy to lift. The lid won’t lift.
2. to pull or strain upward in the effort to raise something:to lift at a heavy weight.
3. to move upward or rise;
   rise and disperse, as clouds or fog.
4. (of rain) to stop temporarily.
5. to rise to view above the horizon when approached, as land seen from the sea.

n.

1. the act of lifting, raising, or rising:the lift of a hand.
2. the distance that anything rises or is raised:a lift of 20 feet between canal locks.
3. a lifting or raising force:A kite depends on the wind to act as its lift.
4. the weight, load, or quantity lifted.
5. an act or instance of helping to climb or mount:He gave her a lift onto the wagon.
6. a ride in a vehicle, esp. one given to a pedestrian:Can you give me a lift across town?
7. a feeling of exaltation or uplift:Their visit gave me quite a lift.
8. assistance or aid:The fund-raiser’s successful efforts proved a great lift for the organization.
9. Mechanical Engineeringa device or apparatus for lifting:a hydraulic lift.
10. a movement in which a dancer, skater, etc., lifts up his partner.
11. Sport[Skiing.]
    • See ski lift. 
    • See chair lift. 

12. British Terms
    • elevator (def. 2).
    • any device used to lift or elevate, as a dumbwaiter or hoist.

13. Informal Termsa theft.
14. a rise or elevation of ground.
15. Aeronauticsthe component of the aerodynamic force exerted by the air on an airfoil, having a direction perpendicular to the direction of motion and causing an aircraft to stay aloft.
16. [Naut.]
    • Naval Termsthe capacity of a cargo ship measured in dead-weight tons.
    • Naval TermsSee topping lift. 

17. one of the layers of leather forming the heel of a boot or shoe.
18. a special arch support built or inserted into footwear.
19. Miningthe slice or thickness of ore mined in one operation.
20. Buildingthe height of the quantity of concrete poured into a form at one time.
21. Nautical, Naval Terms[Naval Archit.]any of the horizontal planks forming a type of half model (lift′ mod′el,) able to be removed and measured as a guide to laying out the water lines of the vessel at full scale.
22. Printing[Typesetting.]fat (def. 25).
23. Printingthe quantity of paper loaded into or removed from a press or other printing machine at one time.
24. [Horol.]
    • Timethe displacement of a pallet by an escape wheel that has been unlocked.
    • Timethe angle through which the pallet passes when so displaced.

25. Aeronauticsairlift (defs. 1–3).

lift′a•ble, adj. 
lift′er, n. 

• 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged elevate. See raise. 

• 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged lower.

lift /lɪft/ vb

1. to rise or cause to rise upwards from the ground or another support to a higher place: to lift a sack
2. to move or cause to move upwards: to lift one’s eyes
3. (transitive) to take hold of in order to carry or remove: to lift something down from a shelf
4. (transitive) to raise in status, spirituality, estimation, etc: his position lifted him from the common crowd
5. (transitive) to revoke or rescind: to lift tax restrictions
6. (transitive) to take (plants or underground crops) out of the ground for transplanting or harvesting
7. (intransitive) to disappear by lifting or as if by lifting: the fog lifted
8. (transitive) informal to take unlawfully or dishonourably; steal
9. (transitive) informal to make dishonest use of (another person’s idea, writing, etc); plagiarize
10. (transitive) slang to arrest
11. (transitive) to perform a face-lift on

n

1. the act or an instance of lifting
2. the power or force available or used for lifting
3. Brit a platform, compartment, or cage raised or lowered in a vertical shaft to transport persons or goods in a building
   US and Canadian word: elevator
4. See chairlift, ski lift
5. the distance or degree to which something is lifted
6. a usually free ride as a passenger in a car or other vehicle
7. a rise in the height of the ground
8. a rise in morale or feeling of cheerfulness usually caused by some specific thing or event
9. the force required to lift an object
10. a layer of the heel of a shoe, etc, or a detachable pad inside the shoe to give the wearer added height
11. aid; help
12. the component of the aerodynamic forces acting on a wing, etc, at right angles to the airflow

Etymology: 13th Century: from Scandinavian; related to Old Norse lypta, Old English lyft sky; compare loft

ˈlifter n