<court that was grown up> with weed

[park sang joon]

This novel is set in a Chinese village before World War One.
Today is the protagonist Wang Lung's wedding day.
He is about to go home from so big a house with his bride-to-be, who was a maid at the big house.

................................
Then she led the way through a small unused court that was grown up with weed, its pool choked, and there under a bent tree was an old roung gate that she pulled loose from its bar, and they went through and into the street.
<The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck>
I'd like to know what "weed grew up a court" or "something grew up a court with weed" means.
Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[se16teddy]

The court was grown up with weed. I think the idea is that the court had a lot of weeds in it, that had grown high or had grown over a period (up). Or maybe the court seemed mature (grown up) because of the weeds now in it.

I suppose the author is making a new expression on the pattern of the adjective "grown up" = adult, mature.

This usage is elliptical and unusual (possibly invented by this author) and I would not recommend adding it to your active vocabulary unless you are writing poetry or experimental literature.

 

[park sang joon]

Thank you, se16teddy, for your so very detailed, therefore very helpful answer.

 

[RM1(SS)]

I think it's the same use of up as in filled up.

 

[park sang joon]

Thank you, RM1(SS), for another very helpful opinion.