What do pull-up transistors and pull-down transistors mean in CMOS?

CMOS电路中，拉电流(transistor)和灌电流(transistor)分别在输出为高电平和低电平时起关键作用。当输入低时，上部PMOS导通，输出电压接近电源电压，PMOS被称为拉电流晶体管。反之，输入高时，下部NMOS导通，输出接地，NMOS被称为灌电流晶体管。这种设计使得CMOS门电路在切换状态时消耗极小的功率。

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原文链接：https://www.quora.com/What-do-pull-up-transistors-and-pull-down-transistors-mean-in-CMOS

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Originally Answered: What is pull up transistor and pull down transistors meaning in CMOS?
I will explain with respect to a CMOS inverter. Suppose input is low, as a result the upper PMOS is ON but lower NMOS is OFF. Hence the output voltage is same as source voltage. That is why the PMOS here is called a “pull-up” transistor, as simply put one can say, “Output has been pulled up to source voltage” via the PMOS. Similarly for input high, NMOS is ON, PMOS is OFF. The output is shorted to ground via NMOS. Hence we say, “output is pulled down to ground”, hence the name pull down transistor for NMOS. Its withrespect to the output voltage level that we use the phrases “pull up”/“pull down”
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Pull-up and pull-down transistors are at the output of CMOS logic gates. Pull-up transistor will act as a source when the output is logical high. The pull down transistor will act as a sink when the output is logical low. During logical high output the pull-up transistor is switched On and the lower pull-down transistor is switched off. Similarly during logical low output the pull down transistor is switched On and pull-up transistor is switched off.

In both of these two ouputs the output current( source or sink ) is low due to the complimentary pair of P-MOS and N-MOS transistors at the output and also at the input of any logical gate. Hence CMOS logic gates consume very less power.
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(1) In CMOS circuits, transistors are used to short or open two nodes (n1 and n2) across which they are connected.

(2) If n1 corresponds to VDD (Supply Voltage) and n2 is in floating state, then if there is a transistor (X1) across n1 and n2 that is turned ON, then the voltage at n2 will be driven up to VDD. In this case, X1 is called pull-up transistor as it pulls up the voltage of n2.

(3) Whereas, if n1 corresponds to GND (0 voltage) and n2 is in the floating state, then if there is a transistor (X2) across n1 and n2 that is turned ON, then the voltage at n2 will be driven down to GND. In this case X2 is called the pull-down transistor as it pulls down the voltage of n2