First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
1upper
adjective up·per \ˈə-pər\
: located above another or others of the same kind
: located at or near the top
: located toward the north
Full Definition of UPPER
1
a : higher in physical position, rank, or order <the upper lip> <upper management> b : farther inland <the upper Mississippi>
2
: constituting the branch of a bicameral legislature that is usually smaller and more restricted in membership and possesses greater traditional prestige than the lower house
3
a : constituting a stratum relatively near the earth's surface b capitalized : being a later epoch or series of the period or system named <Upper Cretaceous> <Upper Paleolithic>
4
: northern <upper Manhattan>
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See upper defined for kids
Origin of UPPER
Middle English, comparative of 2up
2upper
noun
Definition of UPPER
: one that is upper: as a : the parts of a shoe or boot above the sole b : an upper tooth or denture c : an upper berth
— on one's uppers
: in straitened circumstances : destitute
First Known Use of UPPER
1789
Rhymes with UPPER
3upper
noun
Definition of UPPER
1
: a stimulant drug; especially : amphetamine
2
: something that induces a state of good feeling or exhilaration
Origin of UPPER
up + 2-er
First Known Use: circa 1968
UPPER Defined for Kids
1upper
adjective up·per \ˈə-pər\
Definition of UPPER for Kids
1
: higher in position or rank <the building's upper stories> <the upper classes>
2
: farther inland <the region of the upper Mississippi River>
2upper
noun
Definition of UPPER for Kids
: something (as the parts of a shoe above the sole) that is upper
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