upper
1higher, as in place, position, pitch, or in a scale: the upper stories of a house;the upper register of a singer's voice.
superior, as in rank, dignity, or station.
(of places) at a higher level, more northerly, or farther from the sea: the upper slopes of a mountain;upper New York State.
Often Upper .Stratigraphy. denoting a later division of a period, system, or the like: the Upper Devonian.
the part of a shoe or boot above the sole, comprising the quarter, vamp, counter, and lining.
an upper berth.
a gaiter made of cloth.: Compare gaiter (def. 1).
Usually uppers .
an upper dental plate.
an upper tooth.
Informal. the higher of two bunks or berths.
Idioms about upper
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.
Origin of upper
1Words Nearby upper
Other definitions for upper (2 of 2)
a stimulant drug, especially an amphetamine.
a pleasant or elating experience, person, or situation.
Origin of upper
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use upper in a sentence
High temperatures may once again stay below freezing, in the upper 20s to low 30s.
D.C.-area forecast: Raw today. Iciness threat grows Saturday into early Sunday. | A. Camden Walker | February 12, 2021 | Washington PostTemperatures tonight reach the low 20s well north to the upper 20s well south.
PM Update: Light snow mainly passes south of us tonight; cloudy and cold Friday | Ian Livingston | February 12, 2021 | Washington PostIn the upper two thirds of the oven, there’s still a lot of room to play around.
Temperatures still struggle to warm much, with highs in the upper 30s.
D.C.-area forecast: Snow and wintry mix taper off this morning, while ice concerns mount for Saturday | David Streit | February 11, 2021 | Washington PostThose upper-ocean waters held 234 sextillion joules more heat energy in 2020 than the annual average from 1981 to 2010.
2020 was warmest year on record for Earth’s oceans | Maria Temming | February 10, 2021 | Science News For Students
Kanye refuses to stomach any rejection, no matter how upper crust.
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s Balmain Campaign: High Fashion Meets Low Culture | Amy Zimmerman | December 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIf only Sulzberger had managed to keep a zipped upper lip while leaving the dirty work to anonymous underlings.
White, upper-middle-class, Ivy-League educated white men, however Great they are, are falling out of power.
A Few Great Men Too Many: Aaron Sorkin Doesn’t Think You Can Handle the Truth | Arthur Chu | December 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWhen I came to New York after college I was taken with the world of Jewish intellectuals and the upper West Side.
Meghan Daum On Tackling The Unspeakable Parts Of Life | David Yaffe | December 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTSure, the Red Coats had the upper hand in terms of transportation, supplies and training.
The British Royals Reinvade Brooklyn: William and Kate Come Watch Basketball on Historic Battle Site | Justin Jones | December 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST“Perhaps you do not speak my language,” she said in Urdu, the tongue most frequently heard in upper India.
The Red Year | Louis TracyOn the upper part of the stem the whorls are very close together, but they are more widely separated at the lower portion.
How to Know the Ferns | S. Leonard BastinIt is to be remembered, however, that a few of these bacteria may reach the sputum from the upper air-passages.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddThe upper part of the stem is usually unbranched, but whorls of branches occur towards the base.
How to Know the Ferns | S. Leonard BastinThe eyebrows were low and thick, the upper lip was sensitive, quivering sometimes as she talked, but the lower was firm and full.
Ancestors | Gertrude Atherton
British Dictionary definitions for upper
/ (ˈʌpə) /
higher or highest in relation to physical position, wealth, rank, status, etc
(capital when part of a name) lying farther upstream, inland, or farther north: the upper valley of the Loire
(capital when part of a name) geology archaeol denoting the late part or division of a period, system, formation, etc: Upper Palaeolithic
maths (of a limit or bound) greater than or equal to one or more numbers or variables
the higher of two objects, people, etc
the part of a shoe above the sole, covering the upper surface of the foot
on one's uppers extremely poor; destitute
informal any tooth of the upper jaw
Also called (esp US): up slang any of various drugs having a stimulant or euphoric effect: Compare downer
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for upper
[ ŭp′ər ]
Being a later or more recent division of the geological or archaeological period named. Compare lower.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with upper
In addition to the idioms beginning with upper
- upper crust
- upper hand
- upper story
also see:
- keep a stiff upper lip
- on one's uppers
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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