upper

¹

[ uhp-er ]

adjective

1. higher, as in place, position, pitch, or in a scale: the upper register of a singer's voice.

   the upper stories of a house;

   the upper register of a singer's voice.

2. superior, as in rank, dignity, or station.
3. (of places) at a higher level, more northerly, or farther from the sea: upper New York State.

   the upper slopes of a mountain;

   upper New York State.

4. Often Upper. Stratigraphy. denoting a later division of a period, system, or the like:

   the Upper Devonian.

noun

1. the part of a shoe or boot above the sole, comprising the quarter, vamp, counter, and lining.
2. an upper berth.
3. a gaiter made of cloth. Compare gaiter ( def 1 ).
4. Usually uppers.
   1. an upper dental plate.
   2. an upper tooth.
5. Informal. the higher of two bunks or berths.

upper

²

[ uhp-er ]

noun

, Slang.

1. a stimulant drug, especially an amphetamine.
2. a pleasant or elating experience, person, or situation.

upper

/ ˈʌpə /

adjective

1. higher or highest in relation to physical position, wealth, rank, status, etc
2. capital when part of a name lying farther upstream, inland, or farther north

   the upper valley of the Loire

3. capital when part of a name geology archaeol denoting the late part or division of a period, system, formation, etc

   Upper Palaeolithic

4. maths (of a limit or bound) greater than or equal to one or more numbers or variables

noun

1. the higher of two objects, people, etc
2. the part of a shoe above the sole, covering the upper surface of the foot
3. on one's uppers
   on one's uppers extremely poor; destitute
4. informal.
   any tooth of the upper jaw
5. See downer
   slang.
   Also called (esp US)up any of various drugs having a stimulant or euphoric effect Compare downer

upper

/ ŭp′ər /

1. Being a later or more recent division of the geological or archaeological period named.
2. Compare lower

Word History and Origins

Origin of upper¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English; up (adjective), -er ⁴

Origin of upper²

An Americanism dating back to 1965–70; up + -er ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. on one's uppers, Informal. reduced to poverty; without sufficient means:

   They are on their uppers but manage to hide the fact from their friends.

More idioms and phrases containing upper

• keep a stiff upper lip
• on one's uppers

Example Sentences

Kanye refuses to stomach any rejection, no matter how upper crust.

From The Daily Beast

If only Sulzberger had managed to keep a zipped upper lip while leaving the dirty work to anonymous underlings.

From The Daily Beast

White, upper-middle-class, Ivy-League educated white men, however Great they are, are falling out of power.

From The Daily Beast

When I came to New York after college I was taken with the world of Jewish intellectuals and the Upper West Side.

From The Daily Beast

Sure, the Red Coats had the upper hand in terms of transportation, supplies and training.

From The Daily Beast

“Perhaps you do not speak my language,” she said in Urdu, the tongue most frequently heard in Upper India.

From Project Gutenberg

On the upper part of the stem the whorls are very close together, but they are more widely separated at the lower portion.

From Project Gutenberg

It is to be remembered, however, that a few of these bacteria may reach the sputum from the upper air-passages.

From Project Gutenberg

The upper part of the stem is usually unbranched, but whorls of branches occur towards the base.

From Project Gutenberg

The eyebrows were low and thick, the upper lip was sensitive, quivering sometimes as she talked, but the lower was firm and full.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• elevated