# upper

Pronunciation: US say "UP-ur" /ˈʌpɚ/; UK say "UP-uh" /ˈʌpə(ɹ)/

## Adjective

1. Higher in position, level, or rank, including belonging to a more advanced stage of schooling.
   - Simple: Higher in place, rank, or level, including the more advanced years of school.
   - _The upper floors of the tower offer the best views._
   - _Promotion placed him among the company's upper ranks._
2. Located at a higher elevation, farther inland, or farther north than other parts.
   - Simple: Higher up, further inland, or further north than another place.
   - _The upper reaches of the river are too shallow for boats._
   - _Farmers in the upper valley plant later in spring because the snow stays on the ground longer up there._
5. Younger or more recently formed, as of geological layers.
   - Simple: Belonging to a younger, more recent layer of rock.
   - _The upper strata yielded fossils from a later period._
   - _The bones came from Upper Cretaceous rocks, laid down near the end of the age of dinosaurs._

## Noun

3. The higher or top part of something, or the higher of two similar things.
   - Simple: The top part of something, or the higher one of two things.
   - _When we redid the kitchen, we took out the uppers on one wall and put up open shelves instead._
   - _The contractor hung each upper first, so nobody would be working above the new countertops._
4. The part of a shoe, boot, or sandal above the sole that covers or holds the foot, such as the strap of a flip-flop.
   - Simple: The top part of a shoe above the sole, which covers or holds your foot.
   - _The cobbler stitched a new upper onto the old sole._
   - _Leather uppers tend to last longer than synthetic ones._
6. A stimulant drug, such as an amphetamine, that boosts energy and reduces appetite. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A drug that gives you more energy and makes you less hungry.
   - _The musician relied on uppers to get through back-to-back shows._
   - _An upper can leave you crashing hard once it wears off._
7. A berth or bunk in the higher position, as on a train or ship.
   - Simple: The higher bed or bunk, like the one on a train or ship.
   - _The kids raced to claim the upper as soon as the porter folded down the beds in our compartment._
   - _He climbed into the upper and pulled the curtain shut._
8. A student in one of the senior years of a school.
   - Simple: A student in one of the higher grades at a school.
   - _Only the uppers are allowed in the senior common room._
   - _Each upper is paired with a first-year student._
9. One of the teeth of the upper jaw, as distinct from a lower.
   - Simple: A tooth in the top jaw.
   - _The boxer lost two uppers in the fight._
   - _An infected upper can cause pain near the sinus._
10. A denture or retainer designed for the upper set of teeth.
   - Simple: A denture or retainer for the top row of teeth.
   - _The dentist adjusted his upper so it no longer rubbed._
   - _She kept losing her upper at the dinner table._
11. Something that lifts your mood or cheers you up. *(slang)*
   - Simple: Something that makes you feel happy or cheerful.
   - _Her visit was just the upper I needed before the exam._
   - _Good news like that is always an upper._

## Other meanings

- (noun) A person of higher social rank or standing.
- (noun) In tantric and Taoist meditative teaching, an upper opening of the body, often placed at the crown of the head, through which consciousness is said to pass, especially at death.

## Origin

Formed from "up" combined with the suffix "-er".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/upper (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).