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above

 - 6 dictionary results

a⋅bove

[uh-buhv]
–adverb
1. in, at, or to a higher place.
2. overhead, upstairs, or in the sky: My brother lives in the apartment above. A flock of birds circled above.
3. higher in rank, authority, or power: She was told to speak to the person above.
4. higher in quantity or number: books with 100 pages and above.
5. before or earlier, esp. in a book or other piece of writing; foregoing: the remark quoted above. Compare below (def. 6).
6. in or to heaven: gone to her eternal rest above.
7. Zoology. on the upper or dorsal side.
8. Theater. upstage. Compare below (def. 9).
9. higher than zero on the temperature scale: The temperature dropped to ten above this morning.
–preposition
10. in or to a higher place than; over: to fly above the clouds; the floor above ours.
11. more in quantity or number than; in excess of: all girls above 12 years of age; The weight is above a ton.
12. superior in rank, authority, or standing to: A captain is above a lieutenant.
13. not subject or liable to; not capable of (some undesirable action, thought, etc.): above suspicion; to be above bad behavior.
14. of too fine a character for: He is above such trickery.
15. rather than; in preference to: to favor one child above the other.
16. beyond, esp. north of: six miles above Baltimore.
17. Theater. upstage of.
–adjective
18. said, mentioned, or written above; foregoing: the above explanation.
–noun
19. something that was said, mentioned, or written above: to refer to the above.
20. the person or persons previously indicated: The above will all stand trial.
21. heaven: truly a gift from above.
22. a higher authority: an order from above.
23. above all, most important of all; principally: charity above all.

Origin:
bef. 900; ME above(n) (Cf. aboon), OE abufan, onbufan ( a- 1 , on + bufan above (c. D boven), equiv. to b(e) by + ufan, c. OFris uva, OS oban(a), OHG obana, G oben, ON ofan above; akin to over ); see up; cf. about for formation


Above as an adjective (the above data) or as a noun (study the above) referring to what has been mentioned earlier in a piece of writing has long been standard. A few critics object to these uses in general writing, believing that they are more appropriate in business or technical contexts; they occur, however, in all kinds of edited writing.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To above
a·bove   (ə-bŭv')   
adv.  
  1. On high; overhead: the clouds above.

  2. In heaven; heavenward.

    1. Upstairs: a table in the dining room above.

    2. To a degree that is over zero: 15° above.

  3. In or to a higher place.

  4. In an earlier part of a given text: "The problems cited above have led to a number of suggestions for reform" (Wharton Magazine).

  5. In or to a higher rank or position: the ranks of major and above.

prep.  
  1. Over or higher than: a cool spring above the timberline.

  2. Superior to in rank, position, or number; greater than: put principles above expediency.

  3. Beyond the level or reach of: a shot that was heard above the music.

  4. In preference to.

  5. Too honorable to bend to: I am above petty intrigue.

  6. More than: somewhat above normal temperature.

  7. Upstream of: a dam positioned ten miles above the town.

  8. North of: Minnesota is above Iowa.

n.  
  1. An earlier part of a given text: Refer to the above for that information.

  2. The person or persons already referred to in a text: The above hereby affix their signatures.

adj.  Appearing earlier in the same text: flaws in the above interpretation.

[Middle English aboven, from Old English abūfan : a-, on; see a-2 + būfan, above; see upo in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

above 
O.E. abufan, from on "on" + bufan "over," compound of be "by" + ufan "over/high," from P.Gmc. *ufan-, *uban-. Meaning "in addition" first recorded 1596. Aboveboard (1616) was originally a gambling term, "A figurative expression borrowed from gamesters, who, when they put their hands under the table, are changing their cards." [Johnson]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: 1above
Function: adverb
1 : higher on the same page or on a preceding page above>
2 : higher or superior in rank or authority above>—above the line : in calculations that yield adjusted gross income or profit

Main Entry: 2above
Function: adjective
: written or discussed higher on the same page or on a preceding page above argument>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Idioms & Phrases

above

In addition to the idioms beginning with above, also see all (none) of the above; cut above; head and shoulders above; over and above.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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