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upper - 10 dictionary results

up⋅per

1[uhp-er]
–adjective
1. higher, as in place, position, pitch, or in a scale: 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: the upper slopes of a mountain; upper New York State.
4. (often initial capital letter) Stratigraphy. denoting a later division of a period, system, or the like: the Upper Devonian.
–noun
5. the part of a shoe or boot above the sole, comprising the quarter, vamp, counter, and lining.
6. an upper berth.
7. a gaiter made of cloth. Compare gaiter (def. 1).
8. Usually, uppers,
a. an upper dental plate.
b. an upper tooth.
9. Informal. the higher of two bunks or berths.
10. 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:
1300–50; ME; see up (adj.), -er 4

up⋅per

2[uhp-er]
–noun Slang.
1. a stimulant drug, esp. an amphetamine.
2. a pleasant or elating experience, person, or situation.

Origin:
1965–70, Americanism; up + -er 1
up·per   (ŭp'ər)   
adj.  
  1. Higher in place, position, or rank: the upper bunk; the upper half of the class.
    1. Situated on higher ground: upper regions.
    2. Lying farther inland: the upper Nile.
    3. Northern: the upper Midwest.
  2. Upper Geology & Archaeology Of, relating to, or being a later division of the period named.
  3. Denoting the smaller and usually less broadly representative house of a bicameral legislature.
n.  
  1. The part of a shoe or boot above the sole.
  2. Informal An upper berth.
  3. uppers Informal The upper teeth or a set of upper dentures.
  4. Slang
    1. A drug, especially an amphetamine, used as a stimulant.
    2. An exhilarating or euphoric experience.

Upper

Up"per\, a.; comp. of Up. Being further up, literally or figuratively; higher in place, position, rank, dignity, or the like; superior; as, the upper lip; the upper side of a thing; the upper house of a legislature.

The upper hand, the superiority; the advantage. See To have the upper hand, under Hand. --Jowett (Thucyd.).

Upper Bench (Eng. Hist.), the name of the highest court of common law (formerly King's Bench) during the Commonwealth.

Upper case, the top one of a pair of compositor's cases. See the Note under 1st Case, n., 3.

Upper covert (Zo["o]l.), one of the coverts situated above the bases of the tail quills.

Upper deck (Naut.), the topmost deck of any vessel; the spar deck.

Upper leather, the leather for the vamps and quarters of shoes.

Upper strake (Naut.), the strake next to the deck, usually of hard wood, and heavier than the other strakes.

Upper ten thousand, or (abbreviated) Upper ten, the ten thousand, more or less, who are highest in position or wealth; the upper class; the aristocracy. [Colloq.]

Upper topsail (Naut.), the upper half of a double topsail.

Upper works (Naut.), all those parts of the hull of a vessel that are properly above water.

Upper world. (a) The atmosphere. (b) Heaven. (c) This world; the earth; -- in distinction from the underworld.

Upper

Up"per\, n. The upper leather for a shoe; a vamp.
Language Translation for : upper
Spanish: superior,
German: ober,
Japanese: 上の

upper  (adj.)
c.1300, originally comparative of up. Cf. M.Du. upper, Du. opper, Low Ger. upper, Norw. yppare. Noun meaning "part of a shoe above the sole" is recorded from 1789; sense of "stimulant drug" is from 1968. Upper crust is attested from 1460 in ref. to the top crust of a loaf of bread, 1836 in ref. to society. The pugilistic uppercut is first recorded 1842. Upper hand "advantage" is 1481, probably from wrestling. Upperclassman is recorded from 1871. Upper middle class (adj.) is first recorded 1872.

Main Entry: 1up·per
Pronunciation: '&p-&r
Function: noun
: an upper tooth or denture

Main Entry: 2upper
Function: noun
: a stimulant drug; especially : AMPHETAMINE
upper   (ŭp'ər)  Pronunciation Key 
Being a later or more recent division of the geological or archaeological period named. Compare lower.

upper

In addition to the idioms beginning with upper, also see keep a stiff upper lip; on one's uppers.

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