- in a place or on a level above another: upper lip, upper jaw, upper floor
- higher in rank, authority, or dignity: the upper classes
- being farther north, farther inland, or at a higher elevation of land: the upper St. Lawrence
- [U-] more recent; later: used of a division of a period [Upper Cambrian, Upper Paleolithic]
Origin of upper
ME, comparative of up, up- the part of a shoe or boot above the sole
- Informal an upper berth, as in a Pullman car
- [pl.]Informal the upper teeth or dentures
- Slang any drug containing a stimulant; esp., an amphetamine
upper Idioms
on one's uppers
Informal in need or want: with reference to wearing shoes with worn-out soles
