upstream

American  

[uhp-streem] / ˈʌpˈstrim /

adverb

1. toward or in the higher part of a stream; against the current.

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adjective

1. directed upstream; situated upstream.

   an upstream journey; an upstream hideout.

2. Commerce. of or relating to the early stages in the operations of a business or industry, as exploration and production in the oil business (downstream ).

3. against or opposite to the direction of transcription, translation, or synthesis of a DNA, RNA, or protein molecule.

upstream British  

/ ˈʌpˈstriːm /

adverb

1. in or towards the higher part of a stream; against the current

2. (in the oil industry) of or for any of the stages prior to oil production, such as exploration or research Compare downstream

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Etymology

Origin of upstream

First recorded in 1675–85; up- + stream

Example Sentences

However, some oil may bypass the containment and there is still some oil present in upstream watercourses.

From BBC

Net income in its upstream unit was 5% above consensus while its industrial unit came in 8% ahead, the analysts write.

From The Wall Street Journal

Quarterly earnings in the upstream unit were hit by weaker oil prices but its industrial unit benefited from higher refining margins, Repsol said Thursday.

From The Wall Street Journal

Where tall acacias once cast cool shade over a wetland just upstream from the confluence of the Blue and White Nile, barren ground now lies exposed, criss-crossed by people gathering whatever wood remains.

From Barron's

He said the initial search was focused on the upstream, non-tidal part of the tunnel and the team called out "Noah" and "police" while they conducted their searches underground.

From BBC

Related Words

• ambitious
• arduous
• burdensome
• challenging
• crucial
• demanding
• laborious
• onerous
• painful
• problematic
• severe
• strenuous
• tough
• troublesome