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. Stratigraphy.,  Often Upper 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.

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. extremely poor; destitute

4. informal,  any tooth of the upper jaw

5. Also called (esp US): up. slang,  any of various drugs having a stimulant or euphoric effect Compare downer

upper

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, 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

The author was born in Omaha to Haitian immigrant parents, though Gay stresses that her path “wasn’t particularly difficult in that I grew up middle class and then upper middle class.”

From Los Angeles Times

And sure enough, when Gray’s attorneys sent me the cover page of his file, there it was, in the upper right corner: a small doodle of a swastika.

From Salon

The music press, an industry overwhelmingly drawn from the upper middle class, struggled to reconcile it.

From Los Angeles Times

Activists in Gaza said journalists often congregated on the upper floor of the hospital and the emergency staircase outside so as to get a phone signal.

From Los Angeles Times

Russia also has little interest in agreeing to talks while its troops have the upper hand on the front line.

From BBC

Related Words

• uppermost