up ['əp] -adv

  1. in or into a higher position or level
  2. away from the center of the earth
  3. from beneath the ground or water to the surface
  4. from below the horizon
  5. upstream
  6. in or into an upright position
    • sit up
  7. out of bed
  8. upward from the ground or surface
    • pull up a daisy
  9. so as to expose a particular surface
  10. with greater intensity
    • speak up
  11. in or into a better or more advanced state
  12. at an end
    • your time is up
  13. in or into a state of greater intensity or excitement
  14. to or at a greater speed, rate, or amount
    • prices went up
  15. in a continual sequence : in continuance from a point or to a point
    • from third grade up
    • at prices of 10 and up
    • up until now
  16. into existence, evidence, prominence, or prevalence
  17. into operation or practical form
  18. into consideration or attention
    • bring up for discussion
  19. into possession or custody
  20. entirely, completely
    • button up your coat
  21. used as an intensifier
    • clean up the house
  22. in or into storage : by
    • lay up supplies
  23. so as to arrive or approach
  24. : in a direction conventionally the opposite of down:
  25. to windward
  26. northward
  27. to or at the top
  28. to or at the rear of a theatrical stage
  29. in or into parts
  30. to a stop usu. used with draw, bring, fetch, or pull
  31. for each side
    • the score is 15 up
  32. risen above the horizon
    • the sun is up
  33. standing
  34. being out of bed
  35. relatively high
    • the river is up
    • was well up in her class
  36. being in a raised position : lifted
    • windows are up
  37. being in a state of completion : constructed, built
  38. having the face upward
  39. mounted on a horse
    • a new jockey up
  40. grown above a surface
    • the corn is up
  41. moving, inclining, or directed upward
    • the up escalator
  42. bound in a direction regarded as up
  43. marked by agitation, excitement, or activity
  44. positive or upbeat in mood or demeanor
  45. being above a former or normal level (as of quantity or intensity)
    • attendance is up
    • the wind is up
  46. exerting enough power (as for operation)
    • sail when steam is up
  47. ready
  48. highly prepared
  49. going on : taking place
    • find out what is up
  50. risen from a lower position
    • men up from the ranks
  51. being at the same level or point
    • did not feel up to par
  52. well informed : abreast
    • up on the news
  53. being on schedule
    • up on his homework
  54. being ahead of one's opponent
  55. presented for or undergoing consideration
    • contract up for negotiation
  56. charged before a court
    • up for robbery
  57. being the one whose turn it is
    • you're up next
  58. used as a function word to indicate motion to or toward or situation at a higher point of
    • went up the stairs
  59. up into or in the
    • was hid away up garret -- Mark Twain
  60. in a direction regarded as being toward or near the upper end or part of
    • lives a few miles up the coast
    • walked up the street
  61. toward or near a point closer to the source or beginning of
    • sail up the river
  62. in the direction opposite to
    • sailed up the wind
  63. one in a high or advantageous position
  64. an upward slope
  65. a period or state of prosperity or success
  66. upper
  67. a fundamental quark that has an electric charge of +2/3 and that is one of the constituents of a nucleon
  68. to rise from a lying or sitting position
  69. to move upward : ascend
  70. used with and and another verb to indicate that the action of the following verb was either surprisingly or abruptly initiated
    • he up and quit his job
  71. raise, lift
  72. : to advance to a higher level:
  73. increase
  74. promote
  75. raise

UP -abbr

  1. Upper Peninsula (of Michigan)

upandcom·ing [,əp-ən(d)-'kə-miŋ, ,əp-ᵊm-] -adj, n

  1. gaining prominence and likely to advance or succeed
    • an upandcoming young actor

upanddown [-'dau̇n] -adj

  1. marked by alternate upward and downward movement, action, or surface
  2. perpendicular

up and down -adv, prep

  1. to and fro
    • paced up and down
  2. alternately upward and downward
    • jump up and down
  3. here and there esp. throughout an area
  4. with regard to every particular : thoroughly
    • knew the territory up and down

upandup ['əp-ən-'əp] -n

  1. an honest or respectable course used in the phrase on the up-and-up

Upa·ni·shad [ü-'pä-ni-,shäd, yü-'pa-nə-,shad] -n, adj

  1. one of a class of Vedic treatises dealing with broad philosophic problems

upas ['yü-pəs] -n

  1. a tall tropical Asian tree ( Antiaris toxicaria) of the mulberry family with a latex that contains poisonous glycosides used as an arrow poison
  2. a poisonous concentrate of the juice or latex of a upas
  3. a poisonous or harmful influence or institution

up·beat ['əp-,bēt] -n

  1. an unaccented beat or portion of a beat in a musical measure
  2. the last beat of the measure
  3. an increase in activity or prosperity
    • business that is on the upbeat

upbeat -adj

  1. cheerful, optimistic
    • I'm feeling upbeat today

upbow ['əp-,bō] -n

  1. a stroke in playing a bowed instrument in which the bow is moved across the strings from the tip to the heel

up·braid [,əp-'brād] -vt, n

  1. to criticize severely : find fault with
  2. to reproach severely : scold vehemently

up·bring·ing ['əp-,briŋ-iŋ] -n

  1. early training
  2. a particular way of bringing up a child
    • had a strict upbringing

up·build [,əp-'bild] -vt

  1. build up

UPC -abbr

  1. Universal Product Code

up·cast ['əp-,kast] -n

  1. something cast up

up·chuck ['əp-,chək] -vb

  1. vomit

up close -adv or adj

  1. at close range

up·coast ['əp-'kōst] -adv

  1. up the coast

up·com·ing ['əp-,kə-miŋ] -adj

  1. forthcoming, approaching

upcoun·try ['əp-,kən-trē] -adj, n, adv

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of an inland, upland, or outlying region
    • an upcountry farm

up·date [,əp-'dāt] -vt

  1. to bring up to date
  2. an act or instance of updating
  3. current information for updating something
  4. an up-to-date version, account, or report

up·do ['əp-(,)dü] -n

  1. an upswept hairdo

up·draft ['əp-,draft, -,dräft] -n

  1. an upward movement of gas (as air)

up·end [,əp-'end] -vt

  1. to set or stand on end
  2. overturn
  3. to affect to the point of being upset or flurried
    • a...literary shocker, designed to upend the credulous matrons -- Wolcott Gibbs
  4. defeat, beat
  5. to rise on an end

up·field ['əp-'fēld] -adv or adj

  1. in or into the part of the field toward which the offensive team is headed

upfront [,əp-'frənt, 'əp-,] -adj

  1. : being or coming in or at the front: as
  2. being in a conspicuous or leading position
  3. frank, forthright
  4. playing in a front line (as in football)
  5. paid or payable in advance

up front -adv

  1. in or at the front
  2. in advance
  3. in an up-front manner : frankly, forthrightly

up·grade ['əp-,grād] -n

  1. an upward grade or slope
  2. increase, rise
  3. improvement
  4. : to raise or improve the grade of: as
  5. to improve (livestock) by use of purebred sires
  6. to advance to a job requiring a higher level of skill esp. as part of a training program
  7. to raise the quality of
  8. to raise the classification and usu. the price of without improving the quality
  9. to extend the usefulness of (as a device)
  10. to assign a less serious status to
    • upgraded the patient's condition to good
  11. to improve or replace esp. software or a device for increased usefulness

up·growth ['əp-,grōth] -n

  1. the process of growing upward : development
  2. a product or result of this

up·heav·al [,əp-'hē-vəl, (,)ə-'pē-] -n

  1. the action or an instance of upheaving esp. of part of the earth's crust
  2. extreme agitation or disorder : radical change
  3. an instance of this

up·heave [,əp-'hēv, (,)ə-'pēv] -vt, n

  1. to heave up : lift
  2. to move upward esp. with power

up·hill ['əp-'hil] -adv

  1. upward on a hill or incline
  2. against difficulties
    • seemed to be talking uphill -- Willa Cather
  3. rising ground : ascent
  4. situated on elevated ground
  5. going up : ascending
  6. being the higher one or part esp. of a set
  7. being nearer the top of an incline
  8. difficult, laborious

up·hold [(,)əp-'hōld] -vt, n

  1. to give support to
  2. to support against an opponent
  3. to keep elevated
  4. to lift up

up·hol·ster [(,)əp-'hōl-stər, (,)ə-'pōl-] -vt, n

  1. to furnish with or as if with upholstery

up·hol·stery [-st(ə-)rē] -n

  1. materials (as fabric, padding, and springs) used to make a soft covering esp. for a seat

UPI -abbr

  1. United Press International

up·keep ['əp-,kēp] -n

  1. the act of maintaining in good condition : the state of being maintained in good condition
  2. the cost of maintaining in good condition

up·land ['əp-lənd, -,land] -n, adj

  1. high land esp. at some distance from the sea : plateau
  2. ground elevated above the lowlands along rivers or between hills

upland cotton -n

  1. a widely cultivated American cotton plant ( Gossypium hirsutum) having short- to medium-staple fibers

upland sandpiper -n

  1. a large short-billed American sandpiper ( Bartramia longicauda) that frequents fields and prairies called also upland plover

up·lift [(,)əp-'lift] -vt, n

  1. to lift up : elevate
  2. to cause (a portion of the earth's surface) to rise above adjacent areas
  3. to improve the spiritual, social, or intellectual condition of
  4. rise
  5. : an act, process, result, or cause of uplifting: as
  6. the uplifting of a part of the earth's surface
  7. an uplifted mass of land
  8. a bettering of a condition esp. spiritually, socially, or intellectually
  9. influences intended to uplift
  10. a social movement to improve esp. morally or culturally
  11. a brassiere designed to hold the breasts up

up·link ['əp-,liŋk] -n, vb

  1. a communications channel for transmissions to a spacecraft or satellite
  2. the transmissions themselves
  3. a facility on earth for transmitting to a spacecraft or satellite

up·load [(,)əp-'lōd, 'əp-,] -vt

  1. to transfer (as data or files) from a computer to the memory of another device (as a larger or remote computer)

up·man·ship ['əp-mən-,ship] -n

  1. one-upmanship

up·mar·ket ['əp-'mär-kət] -adj, adv

  1. upscale

up·most ['əp-,mōst] -adj

  1. uppermost

up·on [ə-'pȯn, -'pän] -prep

  1. on
  2. on the surface : on it
  3. thereafter, thereon

up·per ['ə-pər] -adj

  1. higher in physical position, rank, or order
    • the upper lip
    • upper management
  2. farther inland
    • the upper Mississippi
  3. constituting the branch of a bicameral legislature that is usu. smaller and more restricted in membership and possesses greater traditional prestige than the lower house
  4. constituting a stratum relatively near the earth's surface
  5. being a later epoch or series of the period or system named
    • Upper Cretaceous
    • Upper Paleolithic
  6. northern
    • upper Manhattan

upper -n

  1. : one that is upper: as
  2. the parts of a shoe or boot above the sole
  3. an upper tooth or denture
  4. an upper berth
  5. a stimulant drug
  6. amphetamine
  7. something that induces a state of good feeling or exhilaration

up·per·case [,ə-pər-'kās] -adj

  1. capital

uppercase -n

  1. capital letters
  2. to print or set in capital letters

upper case -n

  1. a type case containing capitals and usu. small capitals, fractions, symbols, and accents

upperclass -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the upper class

upper class -n

  1. a social class occupying a position above the middle class and having the highest status in a society

up·per·class·man [,ə-pər-'klas-mən] -n

  1. a member of the junior or senior class in a school or college

upper crust -n, adj

  1. the highest social class or group
  2. the highest circle of the upper class

up·per·cut ['ə-pər-,kət] -n, vb

  1. a swinging blow (as in boxing) directed upward with a bent arm

upper hand -n

  1. mastery, advantage, control
    • was determined not to let the opposition get the upper hand

up·per·most ['ə-pər-,mōst] -adj, adv

  1. situated in the highest or most prominent position
    • the uppermost layer
    • safety was uppermost in their minds

up·per·part [-,pärt] -n

  1. a part lying on the upper side (as of a bird)

upper respiratory -adj

  1. of, affecting, or being the part of the respiratory system that includes the nose, nasal passages, and nasopharynx
    • upper respiratory tract
    • upper respiratory infection

up·pish ['ə-pish] -adj, adv, n

  1. uppity

up·pi·ty ['ə-pə-tē] -adj, n

  1. putting on or marked by airs of superiority : arrogant, presumptuous
    • uppity technicians
    • a small uppity country

up·raise [(,)əp-'rāz] -vt

  1. to raise or lift up : elevate

up·rate ['əp-,rāt] -vt

  1. upgrade
  2. to improve the power output of (as an engine)

up·rear [-'rir] -vt

  1. to lift up
  2. erect
  3. rise

up·right ['əp-,rīt] -adj, adv, n

  1. perpendicular, vertical
  2. erect in carriage or posture
  3. having the main axis or a main part perpendicular
    • upright freezer
  4. marked by strong moral rectitude
    • an upright citizen

upright -adv

  1. vertically upward : in an upright position
  2. the state of being upright : perpendicular
    • a pillar out of upright
  3. something that stands upright
  4. a football goalpost usu. used in pl.
  5. upright piano

upright piano -n

  1. a piano with vertical frame and strings

up·rise [,əp-'rīz] -vi, n

  1. to rise to a higher position
  2. stand up
  3. to get out of bed
  4. to come into view esp. from below the horizon
  5. to rise up in sound
  6. an act or instance of uprising
  7. an upward slope

up·ris·ing ['əp-,rī-ziŋ] -n

  1. an act or instance of rising up
  2. a usu. localized act of popular violence in defiance usu. of an established government

up·riv·er ['əp-'ri-vər] -adv or adj

  1. toward or at a point nearer the source of a river

up·roar ['əp-,rȯr] -n

  1. a state of commotion, excitement, or violent disturbance

up·roar·i·ous [,əp-'rȯr-ē-əs] -adj, adv, n

  1. marked by uproar
  2. very noisy and full
  3. extremely funny
    • an uproarious comedy

up·root [(,)əp-'rüt, -'ru̇t] -vt, n

  1. to remove as if by pulling up
  2. to pull up by the roots
  3. to displace from a country or traditional habitat

up·rush ['əp-,rəsh] -n

  1. an upward rush (as of gas or liquid)
  2. a sudden increase
    • an uprush of energy
    • an uprush of emotion

UPS -abbr

  1. uninterruptible power supply

ups and downs -n pl

  1. alternating rise and fall esp. in fortune

up·scale ['əp-'skāl] -adj, adv or vt

  1. relating to, being, or appealing to affluent consumers
  2. of a superior quality

up·set [(,)əp-'set] -vb, n

  1. to thicken and shorten (as a heated bar of iron) by hammering on the end : swage
  2. to force out of the usual upright, level, or proper position : overturn
  3. to trouble mentally or emotionally : disturb the poise of
    • the news upset me
  4. to throw into disorder
  5. invalidate
  6. to defeat unexpectedly
    • was upset in the primary
  7. to cause a physical disorder in
  8. to make somewhat ill
    • spicy food upset s my stomach
  9. to become overturned
  10. an act of overturning : overturn
  11. an act of throwing into disorder : derangement
  12. a state of disorder : confusion
  13. an unexpected defeat
  14. a minor physical disorder
    • a stomach upset
  15. an emotional disturbance
    • went through a big upset after his father's death
  16. a part of a rod (as the head on a bolt) that is upset
  17. the expansion of a bullet on striking
  18. emotionally disturbed or agitated
    • was too upset to speak to him

up·set price ['əp-,set-] -n

  1. the minimum price set for property offered at auction or public sale

up·shift ['əp-,shift] -vi, n

  1. to shift an automotive vehicle into a higher gear

up·shot ['əp-,shät] -n

  1. the final result : outcome

up·side ['əp-,sīd] -n

  1. an upward trend (as of prices)
  2. a positive aspect
  3. promise, potential
    • a young star with lots of upside
  4. up on or against the side of
    • layin' in this death cell, writin' my time upside the wall -- Lonnie Johnson
    • smacked him upside the head

up·side down ['əp-,sīd-'dau̇n] -adv, adj

  1. in such a way that the upper and the lower parts are reversed in position
  2. in or into great disorder
    • turned their world upside down

upsidedown cake -n

  1. a cake baked with its batter covering an arrangement of fruit (as pineapple) and served with the fruit side up

up·si·lon ['üp-sə-,län, 'yüp-, 'əp-, -lən, Brit usu yüp-'sī-lən] -n

  1. the 20th letter of the Greek alphabet
  2. any of a group of unstable electrically neutral elementary particles of the meson family that have a mass about 10 times that of a proton

up·slope ['əp-'slōp] -adj or adv

  1. being or moving to or toward the top of a slope : uphill
    • upslope winds

up·spring [,əp-'spriŋ] -vi

  1. to spring up
  2. to come into being

up·stage ['əp-'stāj] -adv

  1. toward or at the rear of a theatrical stage
  2. away from a motion-picture or television camera

upstage -adj

  1. haughty
  2. of or relating to the rear of a stage

up·stage [,əp-'stāj] -vt

  1. to draw attention away from
    • upstaging the competition
  2. to force (an actor) to face away from the audience by staying upstage
  3. to treat snobbishly
  4. the part of a stage that is farthest from the audience or camera

up·stairs [,əp-'sterz] -adv

  1. up the stairs : on or to a higher floor
  2. to or at a high altitude or higher position
    • kicked upstairs to company management
  3. in the head : intellectually
    • a little slow upstairs -- Tom Clancy
  4. situated above the stairs esp. on an upper floor
    • an upstairs bedroom
  5. the part of a building above the ground floor

up·stand·ing [,əp-'stan-diŋ, 'əp-,] -adj, n

  1. erect, upright
  2. marked by integrity
    • an upstanding businessman

up·start [,əp-'stärt] -vi

  1. to jump up (as to one's feet) suddenly
  2. one that has risen suddenly (as from a low position to wealth or power) : parvenu
  3. one that claims more personal importance than is warranted
  4. a start-up enterprise

up·state ['əp-,stāt] -n, adv or adj

  1. the chiefly northerly sections of a state
  2. the chiefly rural part of a state when the major metropolitan area is in the south

up·stream ['əp-'strēm] -adv or adj

  1. in the direction opposite to the flow of a stream
  2. in or to a position within the production stream closer to manufacturing processes
    • make most of its money upstream, selling cheap crude...to refineries -- John Quirt

up·stroke ['əp-,strōk] -n

  1. a stroke (as of a pen) made in an upward direction

up·surge ['əp-,sərj] -n

  1. a rapid or sudden rise
    • an upsurge in interest

up·sweep ['əp-,swēp] -vi

  1. to sweep upward

upsweep -n

  1. an upward sweep
  2. an upswept hairdo

up·swept ['əp-,swept] -adj

  1. swept upward
  2. brushed up to the top of the head
    • upswept hair

up·swing ['əp-,swiŋ] -n

  1. an upward swing
  2. a marked increase or improvement
    • a dramatic upswing in profits
    often used in the phrase on the upswing
    • her career is on the upswing

up·take ['əp-,tāk] -n

  1. understanding, comprehension
    • quick on the uptake
  2. a flue leading upward
  3. an act or instance of absorbing and incorporating esp. into a living organism, tissue, or cell
    • oxygen uptake

uptem·po ['əp-,tem-(,)pō] -adj

  1. having a fast-moving tempo
    • uptempo music
    • an aggressive uptempo style of basketball

up·throw ['əp-,thrō] -vt

  1. to throw or thrust upward

upthrow -n

  1. an upward displacement (as of a rock stratum) : upheaval, upthrust

up·thrust ['əp-,thrəst] -vt

  1. to thrust up
  2. to elevate (a part of the earth's surface) in an upthrust
  3. to rise with an upward thrust

upthrust -n

  1. an upward thrust
  2. an uplift of part of the earth's crust

up·tick ['əp-,tik] -n

  1. increase, rise
    • an uptick in sales
    • an uptick in hiring

up·tight ['əp-'tīt, (,)əp-'] -adj, n

  1. being tense, nervous, or uneasy
    • uptight overachievers
  2. angry, indignant
  3. rigidly conventional
    • an uptight conservative
  4. being in financial difficulties

up·tilt [,əp-'tilt] -vt

  1. to tilt upward

up·time ['əp-,tīm] -n

  1. time during which a piece of equipment (as a computer) is functioning or able to function

up to -prep

  1. used as a function word to indicate extension as far as a specified place
    • sank up to his knees in the mud
  2. used as a function word to indicate a limit or boundary
    • up to 50,000 copies a month
    • worked up to the last minute

uptodate -adj, adv, n

  1. extending up to the present time : including the latest information
    • uptodate maps
  2. abreast of the times : modern
    • uptodate methods

uptotheminute -adj

  1. extending up to the immediate present : including the very latest information
    • uptotheminute scores
  2. marked by complete up-to-dateness
    • uptotheminute equipment

up·town ['əp-'tau̇n] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to uptown
  2. upscale, fashionable
    • an uptown dress
  3. the upper part of a town or city
  4. the residential district

up·trend ['əp-,trend] -n

  1. an upturn esp. in business or economic activity

up·turn ['əp-,tərn, ,əp-'] -vt

  1. to turn up or over
  2. to direct upward
  3. to turn upward
  4. an upward turn esp. toward better conditions or higher prices

up·ward ['əp-wərd] -adv

  1. in a direction from lower to higher
    • the kite rose upward
  2. toward the source (as of a river)
  3. toward the interior (as of a region)
  4. in a higher position
    • held out his hand, palm upward
  5. in the upper parts : toward the head : above
    • from the waist upward
  6. toward a higher or better condition or level
    • young lawyers moving upward
  7. to an indefinitely greater amount, figure, or rank
    • from 5 upward
  8. toward a greater amount or higher number, degree, or rate
    • attendance figures have risen upward
  9. toward or into later years
    • from youth upward

upward -adj, adv, n

  1. directed toward or situated in a higher place or level : ascending
  2. rising to a higher pitch

upward mobility -n, adj

  1. the capacity or facility for rising to a higher social or economic position

upwards of -adv

  1. more than : in excess of
    • they cost upwards of 25

up·well [,əp-'wel] -vi

  1. to well up
  2. to move or flow upward

up·well·ing [-'we-liŋ] -n

  1. the process or an instance of rising or appearing to rise to the surface and flowing outward
  2. the process of upward movement to the ocean surface of deeper cold usu. nutrient-rich waters esp. along some shores due to the offshore movement of surface waters (as from the action of winds and the Coriolis force)

up·wind ['əp-'wind] -adv or adj

  1. in the direction from which the wind is blowing