upper1
/ˈʌpə
/adjective
1Situated above another part: his upper arm the upper atmosphere...
- Place the cuff on your bare upper arm one-inch above the bend of your elbow.
- They arise when the water vapour from hot aircraft exhausts mixes with the cool air of the upper atmosphere, about 32,000 ft above the Earth's surface.
- Below it is a grand looking sofa that has large wooden arms at each side and an ornate square pattern that runs above the upper cushion.
1.1Higher in position or status: the upper end of the social scale...
- These farmers are mostly uneducated but they take full advantage of the benefits they can derive from their upper caste status.
- By the start of next season, I want us to be pitching for a position at the upper end of the league table.
- Should we be struggling to improve women's position in the upper layers of the bourgeoisie, or should we be addressing the fundamental divisions within society?
Synonyms
senior, superior, higher-level, higher-ranking, highest-ranking, top, chief, more/most important, elevated, eminent, high-status
2Situated on higher ground.One goal was to return fish to traditional spawning grounds in the upper reaches of the Clearwater tributaries, strengthening natural fish runs....
- On either side of the fountain, a curved staircase connected the ground floor to an upper walkway that encircled the entire room.
- It is hoped work will be completed in time for the autumn run of sea trout and salmon, who will for the first time be able to make their way to the productive spawning grounds in the upper reaches of the Yarrow.
Synonyms
higher, further-up, loftier;
overlying, superior;
top
2.1Situated to the north: [in place names]: Upper California...
- The tour raises money for the Wesley Institute, an Upper St. Clair nonprofit organization that provides services to Southwestern Pennsylvania youths with mental health and behavioral challenges.
- John Maher, an Upper St. Clair Republican, said leaders ‘are aware of my desire for openness.’
- She worked in the music industry in Los Angeles for many years but recently moved back to an Upper East Side apartment, where she is trying to write a screenplay and buying vintage clothing and jewelry to resell on eBay.
3 Geology & Archaeology Denoting a younger (and hence usually shallower) part of a stratigraphic division or archaeological deposit or the period in which it was formed or deposited: the Upper Palaeolithic age
noun
The part of a boot or shoe above the sole: leather uppers...
- Gone are the thoughts of pure function, of rubber soles and leather uppers.
- I'm fortunate in having a decent cobbler nearby, so I can get boots reheeled until the uppers collapse.
- Down the side streets are specialized shops supplying this little industry - some sell bundles of shoelaces, others leather, and still others pre-made shoe uppers.
Phrases
have (or gain) the upper hand
on one's uppers
the upper crust
Origin
Middle English: from the adjective up + -er2.
Rhymes
upper2
/ˈʌpə/noun (usually uppers) informal
A stimulating drug, especially amphetamine.Information gleaned from this survey included age of onset of use of marijuana, cocaine, uppers, and LSD....
- Because monthly use of cocaine, uppers, and LSD is rare and infrequent among adolescents, annual estimates were employed to provide sufficient distribution for conducting meaningful analyses.
- Among drug users, abused youth were significantly younger than their nonabused peers in mean age of onset of marijuana, cocaine, and uppers use.
Origin
1960s: from the verb up + -er1.