upstairsadv.n.adj.

Etymology: up prep.² 1, 7

A. adv. and n.

/ʌpˈstɛəz/.

a. So as to ascend a flight of stairs; to the floor at the top of a staircase.Stressed ˈupstairs when contrasted with downstairs.

ΘΚΠ

the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > upward movement > [adverb] > so as to ascend stairs

upstairs1598

upstair1627

1598 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 ii. v. 101 His industrie is vp staires and down staires, his eloquence the parcel of a reckoning.

1658 E. Phillips Myst. Love & Eloquence 75 Up stairs we nimbly creep, And find the Sluts asleep.

1661 in Jamieson Sc. Dict. at Breadberry Tripping up stares and down stares with a posset or berry for the laird or lady.

1722 D. Defoe Jrnl. Plague Year (1896) 127 Some [running] down stairs and some up stairs.

1767 P. Gibbes Woman of Fashion I. 244 Shew the Lady up Stairs.

1797 H. Lee Canterbury Tales I. 152 He abruptly walked up stairs, and..opened the door.

1839 C. Dickens Nicholas Nickleby lxii. 605 He made his way up stairs into the room.

1876 T. Hardy Hand of Ethelberta I. vii. 91 I think that after the women had gone upstairs the others turned their thoughts upon you again.

b. figurative. (See kick v.¹ 5b.)

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > social class > [adverb] > in manner of social elevation

upstairsa1715

a1715 Bp. G. Burnet Suppl. to Hist. Own Time (1902) i. 145 He [sc. Halifax] had said he had known many kicked down stairs, but he never knew any kicked up stairs before.

1821 J. W. Croker Diary 31 May in Croker Papers (1884) I. vii. 186 Lord Melville informs me that he is about to be kicked upstairs (his expression) to be Secretary of State for the Home Department.

(a) Parliament. In to send (a bill) upstairs, to refer (a bill) for its committee stage from the floor of the House to a standing committee. Cf. commit v. 5.

ΘΚΠ

society > law > legislation > make (laws) or establish as law [verb (transitive)] > refer to committee

commit1449

commise1623

to send (a bill) upstairs1835

1835 Mirror of Parl. (1st Sess., 12th Parl.) 2 1399/2 I rise to suggest, that if this Bill requires mature deliberation with respect to its details, it should be referred to a Committee up~stairs, and not to the Registration Committee.

1907 Hansard Commons 11 Apr. 419 Was it the intention of the Government that such a Bill as the Army Bill should go upstairs?

1931 Economist 31 Jan. 215/2 In spite of the Government's majority, it is clear that the Bill will emerge from Committee in a very different form from the one in which it is sent upstairs.

1959 Daily Tel. 13 Nov. 13/3 For detailed consideration, the Bill will be sent to a Committee ‘upstairs’, consisting of about 45 M.P.s.

1975 J. P. Morgan House of Lords & Labour Govt. ii. 54 All Public Bills usually have their Committee Stage in the Lords on the Floor of the House... In response to the pressure of legislation in 1968 the Lords tried the experiment of taking some Bills ‘upstairs’ for their Committee Stage.

(b) Hence more generally, (ii) to a more influential position (sometimes ironical); (ii) to a higher authority (of a matter referred for judgement). colloquial.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > [adverb] > with superior authority > to a more superior position

upstairs1965

the mind > attention and judgement > judgement or decision > advice > [adverb] > (referred) to a higher authority

upstairs1965

1965 New Statesman 9 Apr. 566/2 At the recent Plenum, the first since Mr K was ousted, Ilyichev was booted upstairs as Deputy Foreign Minister.

1977 D. Bagley Enemy xi. 75 I'll have to push it upstairs for a ruling.

1978 S. Brill Teamsters vii. 289 The Pressers get him another job with the Joint Council or the statewide union. You know, he gets thrown upstairs.

d. Aeronautics. Up in or into the air. In to go (climb, etc.) upstairs, to become airborne. colloquial.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > air or space travel > action of flying (in) aircraft > specific flying operations or procedures > [verb (intransitive)] > ascend or gain height

to go (climb, etc.) upstairs1908

climb1915

angel1941

1908 Punch 10 June 429/2 Climbing upstairs over Richmond Park [in a balloon] in search of conducive current.

1919 C. P. Thompson Cocktails 250 We hauled the plane from the trees where she had been pushed out of sight..and..went upstairs at speed.

a. At the top of, on a floor or in a room reached by, a flight of stairs; in one of the upper stories of a house.

ΘΚΠ

society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > parts of building > [adverb] > floor or storey

below1562

downstairs1598

below stairs1600

above stairs1606

upstairs1781

society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > parts of building > [noun] > floor or storey > upper floors

first floor1445

plancher1523

first storey1686

piano nobile1715

mezzaninec1720

entresol1726

attic storey1738

upstairs1781

attic1818

second floor1821

third floor1908

upper1968

1781 W. Cowper Table Talk 151 To be the Table Talk of clubs up stairs.

1813 J. Austen Pride & Prejudice III. xiii. 229 Her mother..was sitting up stairs with Kitty.

1844 A. W. Kinglake Eothen xvi. 218 It is upstairs—on the first floor.

1882 M. E. Braddon Mt. Royal III. ii. 28 You would rather dine upstairs, I dare say.

b. quasi-n.

ΚΠ

1842 S. Lover Handy Andy xiv The ogre's voice from up~stairs.

1898 T. Watts-Dunton Aylwin xii. iii As I spoke I heard a noise... It seemed to come from upstairs.

c. As n. An upper story or floor. Also transferred, a person or persons living on an upper floor.

ΘΚΠ

society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabitant > inhabitant by type of accommodation > [noun] > inhabitant of house > inhabitant of part of house

garreteer1720

boudoira1830

first floor1837

upstairs1872

1872 E. Eggleston End of World i. 19 They say, he has all up-stairs full of books.

1884 B. D. Nath in Proc. Soc. Psychical Res. (1885) 3 329 I was..present on the day when Mr. Coulomb gave the charge of the upstairs to our party.

1896 Westm. Gaz. 23 Apr. 2/3 The magistrate could not discriminate whether upstairs or down-stairs began [the fight].

d. Aeronautics. In the air; in flight; aloft. colloquial.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > air or space travel > action of flying (in) aircraft > [adverb]

upstairs1918

up top1934

1918 H. A. Bruno Flying Yankee v. 77 Cold as the devil upstairs.

1918 H. A. Bruno Flying Yankee xii. 193 ‘Upstairs’ a stiff breeze was blowing.

1934 V. M. Yeates Winged Victory ii. v. 232 There won't be any Huns about upstairs [on] a day like this.

1940 N. Monks Squadrons Up! 252 Dashing about ‘upstairs’ in stratospherical aloofness.

1967 W. Lord Incredible Victory 94 By 5:30 the weather was clearing ‘upstairs’.

1981 I. St. James Balfour Conspiracy v. 138 The R.A.F. are upstairs now..at about seventy thousand feet.

e. Mentally, ‘in the head’. Chiefly in phrases indicating weak (or abundant, etc.) mental capacity. slang.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > [adverb] > in the head

upstairs1932

1932 J. T. Farrell Young Lonigan i. 44 Aw, she's all vacant upstairs.

1945 A. Kober Parm Me 179 ‘Meshugeh upstairs!’ Jennie laughed and drummed on her forehead.

1952 G. W. Brace Spire xxvii. 322 He just ain't right upstairs.

1962 A. Huxley Island xi. 184 ‘One may be very stupid upstairs.’ She patted the top of her head.

1974 P. De Vries Glory of Hummingbird (1975) v. 63 Assurances that my progress here would be well lubricated by my having ‘plenty upstairs’.

f. the Man Upstairs, euphemistic and slang for ‘God’. Cf. up there adv. 1. U.S.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the supernatural > deity > Christian God > [noun] > as man

gomec1320

wyec1400

the Man Upstairs1961

1961 J. Heller Catch-22 xviii. 184 ‘When you talk to the man upstairs,’ he said, ‘I want you to tell Him something for me.’

1971 Guardian 8 Oct. 9/4 Everything that's happened to me has been very much because of the Man Upstairs.

1976 H. Kemelman Wednesday Rabbi got Wet xix. 129 I'd just lost my wife, see. I guess the Man Upstairs wanted her.

B. adj. /ˈʌpstɛəz/.

a. Situated on an upper story or at the top of a flight of steps.

ΘΚΠ

society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > parts of building > [adjective] > floor or storey > situated on

upper1522

upstairs1787

upstair1814

1787 L. L. Orr Jrnl. Young Lady Virginia (1871) 46 Nancy had a fire made up in one of the up-stairs rooms.

1850 Househ. Words I. 206/1 In upstairs Infirmary wards.

1879 Mrs. A. G. F. E. James Indian Househ. Managem. 35 A bungalow has rarely any upstairs rooms.

b. Belonging to, connected with, the upper rooms or parts of a house.

ΘΚΠ

society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > parts of building > [adjective] > floor or storey

understairs1616

downstairs1702

two-pair1749

below stairs1772

three-pair1788

one-pair1795

upstairs1839

1839 T. Hood On Completing Forty-seven iv I hear the up-stairs bell.

1847 W. M. Thackeray Vanity Fair (1848) xvi. 140 At the usual hour..the upstairs maid, knocked at the door of the..bed-chamber.

1894 E. Banks Campaigns Curiosity 10 The up~stairs duties of a first-class lodging-house.

c. figurative. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of life ‘above stairs’ (i.e. in private rooms of a household, as opposed to the servants' quarters) (chiefly Historical); refined, genteel, privileged. Frequently in upstairs-downstairs adj., denoting the social contrast between employer and domestic servant.

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > social class > nobility > aristocracy or upper class > gentry > [adjective]

gentle?c1225

gentc1300

gentlemanlya1450

gentlemanlike1565

genteel1628

genty1660

gentee1664

gentlemany1728

niblike1834

nibsome1839

upstairs1942

1942 ‘M. Innes’ Daffodil Affair i. ii. 13 Almost might she be said, in upstairs language, to be receiving.

1971 TV Times 9 Oct. 6/2 A six-part series, Upstairs, Downstairs (or Secrets of an Edwardian Household), starting Sunday, lovingly, critically examines life at that time through one family.]

1974 D. Francis Knock Down i. 6 To one side of the sale ring, and built to a specification as Upstairs as the wooden circle was Downstairs, was a magnificent turn of the century stable yard.

1975 New Society 6 Nov. 305/2 Our system is too monolithic, based as it is on an upstairs-downstairs view of music. Upstairs people choose the classics on Radio Three... Downstairs, people listen to pop.

1978 G. Mitchell Mingled with Venom i. 4 She had been taken on as kitchen-maid... She was..a ready learner of upstairs speech and manners.

1980 E. Behr Getting Even i. 18 The lady in black with white lace cap and apron, a real upstairs-downstairs figure.

2. Having more than one story.

ΘΚΠ

society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > building of specific internal arrangement > [adjective] > number of storeys

one-storey1796

two-lofted1819

one-storeyed1821

four-story1833

single-storied1835

upstairs1840

multi-storied1891

multi-storey1902

low-rise1922

single-storey1947

tri-level1960

1840 E. E. Napier Scenes & Sports Foreign Lands II. v. 163 Old B—— possessed one of the few up-stairs houses in the cantonment, in the lower part of which he had his shop.

This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1926; most recently modified version published online December 2021).

单词	upstairs
释义	upstairsadv.n.adj. Etymology: up prep.² 1, 7 A. adv. and n. /ʌpˈstɛəz/. 1. a. So as to ascend a flight of stairs; to the floor at the top of a staircase.Stressed ˈupstairs when contrasted with downstairs. ΘΚΠ the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > upward movement > [adverb] > so as to ascend stairs upstairs1598 upstair1627 1598 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 ii. v. 101 His industrie is vp staires and down staires, his eloquence the parcel of a reckoning. View more context for this quotation 1658 E. Phillips Myst. Love & Eloquence 75 Up stairs we nimbly creep, And find the Sluts asleep. 1661 in Jamieson Sc. Dict. at Breadberry Tripping up stares and down stares with a posset or berry for the laird or lady. 1722 D. Defoe Jrnl. Plague Year (1896) 127 Some [running] down stairs and some up stairs. 1767 P. Gibbes Woman of Fashion I. 244 Shew the Lady up Stairs. 1797 H. Lee Canterbury Tales I. 152 He abruptly walked up stairs, and..opened the door. 1839 C. Dickens Nicholas Nickleby lxii. 605 He made his way up stairs into the room. 1876 T. Hardy Hand of Ethelberta I. vii. 91 I think that after the women had gone upstairs the others turned their thoughts upon you again. b. figurative. (See kick v.¹ 5b.) ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > social class > [adverb] > in manner of social elevation upstairsa1715 a1715 Bp. G. Burnet Suppl. to Hist. Own Time (1902) i. 145 He [sc. Halifax] had said he had known many kicked down stairs, but he never knew any kicked up stairs before. 1821 J. W. Croker Diary 31 May in Croker Papers (1884) I. vii. 186 Lord Melville informs me that he is about to be kicked upstairs (his expression) to be Secretary of State for the Home Department. c. (a) Parliament. In to send (a bill) upstairs, to refer (a bill) for its committee stage from the floor of the House to a standing committee. Cf. commit v. 5. ΘΚΠ society > law > legislation > make (laws) or establish as law [verb (transitive)] > refer to committee commit1449 commise1623 to send (a bill) upstairs1835 1835 Mirror of Parl. (1st Sess., 12th Parl.) 2 1399/2 I rise to suggest, that if this Bill requires mature deliberation with respect to its details, it should be referred to a Committee up~stairs, and not to the Registration Committee. 1907 Hansard Commons 11 Apr. 419 Was it the intention of the Government that such a Bill as the Army Bill should go upstairs? 1931 Economist 31 Jan. 215/2 In spite of the Government's majority, it is clear that the Bill will emerge from Committee in a very different form from the one in which it is sent upstairs. 1959 Daily Tel. 13 Nov. 13/3 For detailed consideration, the Bill will be sent to a Committee ‘upstairs’, consisting of about 45 M.P.s. 1975 J. P. Morgan House of Lords & Labour Govt. ii. 54 All Public Bills usually have their Committee Stage in the Lords on the Floor of the House... In response to the pressure of legislation in 1968 the Lords tried the experiment of taking some Bills ‘upstairs’ for their Committee Stage. (b) Hence more generally, (ii) to a more influential position (sometimes ironical); (ii) to a higher authority (of a matter referred for judgement). colloquial. ΘΚΠ society > authority > [adverb] > with superior authority > to a more superior position upstairs1965 the mind > attention and judgement > judgement or decision > advice > [adverb] > (referred) to a higher authority upstairs1965 1965 New Statesman 9 Apr. 566/2 At the recent Plenum, the first since Mr K was ousted, Ilyichev was booted upstairs as Deputy Foreign Minister. 1977 D. Bagley Enemy xi. 75 I'll have to push it upstairs for a ruling. 1978 S. Brill Teamsters vii. 289 The Pressers get him another job with the Joint Council or the statewide union. You know, he gets thrown upstairs. d. Aeronautics. Up in or into the air. In to go (climb, etc.) upstairs, to become airborne. colloquial. ΘΚΠ society > travel > air or space travel > action of flying (in) aircraft > specific flying operations or procedures > [verb (intransitive)] > ascend or gain height to go (climb, etc.) upstairs1908 climb1915 angel1941 1908 Punch 10 June 429/2 Climbing upstairs over Richmond Park [in a balloon] in search of conducive current. 1919 C. P. Thompson Cocktails 250 We hauled the plane from the trees where she had been pushed out of sight..and..went upstairs at speed. 2. a. At the top of, on a floor or in a room reached by, a flight of stairs; in one of the upper stories of a house. ΘΚΠ society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > parts of building > [adverb] > floor or storey below1562 downstairs1598 below stairs1600 above stairs1606 upstairs1781 society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > parts of building > [noun] > floor or storey > upper floors first floor1445 plancher1523 first storey1686 piano nobile1715 mezzaninec1720 entresol1726 attic storey1738 upstairs1781 attic1818 second floor1821 third floor1908 upper1968 1781 W. Cowper Table Talk 151 To be the Table Talk of clubs up stairs. 1813 J. Austen Pride & Prejudice III. xiii. 229 Her mother..was sitting up stairs with Kitty. View more context for this quotation 1844 A. W. Kinglake Eothen xvi. 218 It is upstairs—on the first floor. 1882 M. E. Braddon Mt. Royal III. ii. 28 You would rather dine upstairs, I dare say. b. quasi-n. ΚΠ 1842 S. Lover Handy Andy xiv The ogre's voice from up~stairs. 1898 T. Watts-Dunton Aylwin xii. iii As I spoke I heard a noise... It seemed to come from upstairs. c. As n. An upper story or floor. Also transferred, a person or persons living on an upper floor. ΘΚΠ society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabitant > inhabitant by type of accommodation > [noun] > inhabitant of house > inhabitant of part of house garreteer1720 boudoira1830 first floor1837 upstairs1872 1872 E. Eggleston End of World i. 19 They say, he has all up-stairs full of books. 1884 B. D. Nath in Proc. Soc. Psychical Res. (1885) 3 329 I was..present on the day when Mr. Coulomb gave the charge of the upstairs to our party. 1896 Westm. Gaz. 23 Apr. 2/3 The magistrate could not discriminate whether upstairs or down-stairs began [the fight]. d. Aeronautics. In the air; in flight; aloft. colloquial. ΘΚΠ society > travel > air or space travel > action of flying (in) aircraft > [adverb] upstairs1918 up top1934 1918 H. A. Bruno Flying Yankee v. 77 Cold as the devil upstairs. 1918 H. A. Bruno Flying Yankee xii. 193 ‘Upstairs’ a stiff breeze was blowing. 1934 V. M. Yeates Winged Victory ii. v. 232 There won't be any Huns about upstairs [on] a day like this. 1940 N. Monks Squadrons Up! 252 Dashing about ‘upstairs’ in stratospherical aloofness. 1967 W. Lord Incredible Victory 94 By 5:30 the weather was clearing ‘upstairs’. 1981 I. St. James Balfour Conspiracy v. 138 The R.A.F. are upstairs now..at about seventy thousand feet. e. Mentally, ‘in the head’. Chiefly in phrases indicating weak (or abundant, etc.) mental capacity. slang. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > [adverb] > in the head upstairs1932 1932 J. T. Farrell Young Lonigan i. 44 Aw, she's all vacant upstairs. 1945 A. Kober Parm Me 179 ‘Meshugeh upstairs!’ Jennie laughed and drummed on her forehead. 1952 G. W. Brace Spire xxvii. 322 He just ain't right upstairs. 1962 A. Huxley Island xi. 184 ‘One may be very stupid upstairs.’ She patted the top of her head. 1974 P. De Vries Glory of Hummingbird (1975) v. 63 Assurances that my progress here would be well lubricated by my having ‘plenty upstairs’. f. the Man Upstairs, euphemistic and slang for ‘God’. Cf. up there adv. 1. U.S. ΘΚΠ the world > the supernatural > deity > Christian God > [noun] > as man gomec1320 wyec1400 the Man Upstairs1961 1961 J. Heller Catch-22 xviii. 184 ‘When you talk to the man upstairs,’ he said, ‘I want you to tell Him something for me.’ 1971 Guardian 8 Oct. 9/4 Everything that's happened to me has been very much because of the Man Upstairs. 1976 H. Kemelman Wednesday Rabbi got Wet xix. 129 I'd just lost my wife, see. I guess the Man Upstairs wanted her. B. adj. /ˈʌpstɛəz/. 1. a. Situated on an upper story or at the top of a flight of steps. ΘΚΠ society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > parts of building > [adjective] > floor or storey > situated on upper1522 upstairs1787 upstair1814 1787 L. L. Orr Jrnl. Young Lady Virginia (1871) 46 Nancy had a fire made up in one of the up-stairs rooms. 1850 Househ. Words I. 206/1 In upstairs Infirmary wards. 1879 Mrs. A. G. F. E. James Indian Househ. Managem. 35 A bungalow has rarely any upstairs rooms. b. Belonging to, connected with, the upper rooms or parts of a house. ΘΚΠ society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > parts of building > [adjective] > floor or storey understairs1616 downstairs1702 two-pair1749 below stairs1772 three-pair1788 one-pair1795 upstairs1839 1839 T. Hood On Completing Forty-seven iv I hear the up-stairs bell. 1847 W. M. Thackeray Vanity Fair (1848) xvi. 140 At the usual hour..the upstairs maid, knocked at the door of the..bed-chamber. 1894 E. Banks Campaigns Curiosity 10 The up~stairs duties of a first-class lodging-house. c. figurative. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of life ‘above stairs’ (i.e. in private rooms of a household, as opposed to the servants' quarters) (chiefly Historical); refined, genteel, privileged. Frequently in upstairs-downstairs adj., denoting the social contrast between employer and domestic servant. ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > social class > nobility > aristocracy or upper class > gentry > [adjective] gentle?c1225 gentc1300 gentlemanlya1450 gentlemanlike1565 genteel1628 genty1660 gentee1664 gentlemany1728 niblike1834 nibsome1839 upstairs1942 1942 ‘M. Innes’ Daffodil Affair i. ii. 13 Almost might she be said, in upstairs language, to be receiving. 1971 TV Times 9 Oct. 6/2 A six-part series, Upstairs, Downstairs (or Secrets of an Edwardian Household), starting Sunday, lovingly, critically examines life at that time through one family.] 1974 D. Francis Knock Down i. 6 To one side of the sale ring, and built to a specification as Upstairs as the wooden circle was Downstairs, was a magnificent turn of the century stable yard. 1975 New Society 6 Nov. 305/2 Our system is too monolithic, based as it is on an upstairs-downstairs view of music. Upstairs people choose the classics on Radio Three... Downstairs, people listen to pop. 1978 G. Mitchell Mingled with Venom i. 4 She had been taken on as kitchen-maid... She was..a ready learner of upstairs speech and manners. 1980 E. Behr Getting Even i. 18 The lady in black with white lace cap and apron, a real upstairs-downstairs figure. 2. Having more than one story. ΘΚΠ society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > building of specific internal arrangement > [adjective] > number of storeys one-storey1796 two-lofted1819 one-storeyed1821 four-story1833 single-storied1835 upstairs1840 multi-storied1891 multi-storey1902 low-rise1922 single-storey1947 tri-level1960 1840 E. E. Napier Scenes & Sports Foreign Lands II. v. 163 Old B—— possessed one of the few up-stairs houses in the cantonment, in the lower part of which he had his shop. This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1926; most recently modified version published online December 2021). < adv.n.adj.1598
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