1 up·per
Pronounced:
/ˈʌpɚ/
Function:
adjective always used before a nounMeaning:
1 a : located above another or others of the same kind ▪ the tree's upper branches ▪ upper and lower front teeth ▪ the upper jaw ▪ her upper extremities/limbs [=her arms and hands] ▪ the wing's upper and lower surfaces ▪ the ship's upper and lower decks ▪ Who will sleep on the upper berth? ▪ The upper stories/floors are occupied by offices. ▪ the upper layer of the Earth's crust ▪ temperatures in the mid to upper 20s b : located at or near the top ▪ Write your name on the upper left-hand corner of the page. ▪ relief of upper back pain ▪ exercises to improve upper body strength [=strength in the arms, shoulders, neck, and back] ▪ the mountain's upper and lower slopes ▪ the upper atmosphere ▪ There is no upper age limit for participation. ▪ He's at the upper end of the pay scale. ▪ The upper two-thirds of the wall has been painted.
2 : located toward the north ▪ a restaurant in upper Manhattan ▪ an apartment on upper Fifth Avenue ▪ the upper Great Lakes region
3 : above another or others in position, rank, or order ▪ the upper echelons of society ▪ upper-level executives ▪ upper management ▪ the upper middle class
2 : located toward the north ▪ a restaurant in upper Manhattan ▪ an apartment on upper Fifth Avenue ▪ the upper Great Lakes region
3 : above another or others in position, rank, or order ▪ the upper echelons of society ▪ upper-level executives ▪ upper management ▪ the upper middle class
stiff upper lip —see 1stiff