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Up   /əp/   Listen
adverb
Up  adv.  
1.
Aloft; on high; in a direction contrary to that of gravity; toward or in a higher place or position; above; the opposite of down. "But up or down, By center or eccentric, hard to tell."
2.
Hence, in many derived uses, specifically:
(a)
From a lower to a higher position, literally or figuratively; as, from a recumbent or sitting position; from the mouth, toward the source, of a river; from a dependent or inferior condition; from concealment; from younger age; from a quiet state, or the like; used with verbs of motion expressed or implied. "But they presumed to go up unto the hilltop." "I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up." "Up rose the sun, and up rose Emelye." "We have wrought ourselves up into this degree of Christian indifference."
(b)
In a higher place or position, literally or figuratively; in the state of having arisen; in an upright, or nearly upright, position; standing; mounted on a horse; in a condition of elevation, prominence, advance, proficiency, excitement, insurrection, or the like; used with verbs of rest, situation, condition, and the like; as, to be up on a hill; the lid of the box was up; prices are up. "And when the sun was up, they were scorched." "Those that were up themselves kept others low." "Helen was up was she?" "Rebels there are up, And put the Englishmen unto the sword." "His name was up through all the adjoining provinces, even to Italy and Rome; many desiring to see who he was that could withstand so many years the Roman puissance." "Thou hast fired me; my soul's up in arms." "Grief and passion are like floods raised in little brooks by a sudden rain; they are quickly up." "A general whisper ran among the country people, that Sir Roger was up." "Let us, then, be up and doing, With a heart for any fate."
(c)
To or in a position of equal advance or equality; not short of, back of, less advanced than, away from, or the like; usually followed by to or with; as, to be up to the chin in water; to come up with one's companions; to come up with the enemy; to live up to engagements. "As a boar was whetting his teeth, up comes a fox to him."
(d)
To or in a state of completion; completely; wholly; quite; as, in the phrases to eat up; to drink up; to burn up; to sum up; etc.; to shut up the eyes or the mouth; to sew up a rent. Note: Some phrases of this kind are now obsolete; as, to spend up (); to kill up ().
(e)
Aside, so as not to be in use; as, to lay up riches; put up your weapons. Note: Up is used elliptically for get up, rouse up, etc., expressing a command or exhortation. "Up, and let us be going." "Up, up, my friend! and quit your books, Or surely you 'll grow double."
It is all up with him, it is all over with him; he is lost.
The time is up, the allotted time is past.
To be up in, to be informed about; to be versed in. "Anxious that their sons should be well up in the superstitions of two thousand years ago."
To be up to.
(a)
To be equal to, or prepared for; as, he is up to the business, or the emergency. (Colloq.)
(b)
To be engaged in; to purpose, with the idea of doing ill or mischief; as, I don't know what he's up to. (Colloq.)
To blow up.
(a)
To inflate; to distend.
(b)
To destroy by an explosion from beneath.
(c)
To explode; as, the boiler blew up.
(d)
To reprove angrily; to scold. (Slang)
To bring up. See under Bring, v. t.
To come up with. See under Come, v. i.
To cut up. See under Cut, v. t. & i.
To draw up. See under Draw, v. t.
To grow up, to grow to maturity.
Up anchor (Naut.), the order to man the windlass preparatory to hauling up the anchor.
Up and down.
(a)
First up, and then down; from one state or position to another. See under Down, adv. "Fortune... led him up and down."
(b)
(Naut.) Vertical; perpendicular; said of the cable when the anchor is under, or nearly under, the hawse hole, and the cable is taut.
Up helm (Naut.), the order given to move the tiller toward the upper, or windward, side of a vessel.
Up to snuff. See under Snuff. (Slang)
What is up? What is going on? (Slang)


preposition
Up  prep.  
1.
From a lower to a higher place on, upon, or along; at a higher situation upon; at the top of. "In going up a hill, the knees will be most weary; in going down, the thihgs."
2.
From the coast towards the interior of, as a country; from the mouth towards the source of, as a stream; as, to journey up the country; to sail up the Hudson.
3.
Upon. (Obs.) "Up pain of death."


noun
Up  n.  The state of being up or above; a state of elevation, prosperity, or the like; rarely occurring except in the phrase ups and downs. (Colloq.)
Ups and downs, alternate states of elevation and depression, or of prosperity and the contrary. (Colloq.) "They had their ups and downs of fortune."


adjective
Up  adj.  Inclining up; tending or going up; upward; as, an up look; an up grade; the up train.





Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48


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"Up" Quotes from Famous Books



... mumbling the book, as if he had an excellent brown buttered crust in his mouth or as if he had really been a book-worm, or an author who had nothing to eat but his own works, a piece of paper fell from its leaves to the ground, which Partridge took up, and delivered to Jones, who presently perceived it to be a bank-bill. It was, indeed, the very bill which Western had given his daughter the night before her departure; and a Jew would have jumped to purchase it at five shillings less ...
— The History of Tom Jones, a foundling • Henry Fielding
... Dead Sea is of an oblong form, and would be of a very regular contour, were it not for a remarkable projection from its eastern shore near its southern extremity. In this place, a long and low peninsula, shaped like a human foot, projects into the lake, filling up two thirds of its width, and thus dividing the expanse of water into two portions, which are connected by a long and somewhat narrow passage. The entire length of the sea, from north to south, is 46 miles: its greatest width, between ...
— The Seven Great Monarchies Of The Ancient Eastern World, Vol 4. (of 7): Babylon • George Rawlinson
... up and speak to the Prince when we were reclining on our deck chairs, but my companion did not encourage him. I think, Bobby, he was like you—a little jealous. Anyhow, towards the end of the voyage I received a note. It was handed to me by a stewardess. It was from Mr. Ramsey, and ...
— War-time Silhouettes • Stephen Hudson
... seemed to be asleep, since the eyes were shut. Or was it dead, for at first that face was a face of death? Look, the sunlight played upon her, shining through the thin veil, the dark eyes opened like the eyes of a wondering child; the blood of life flowed up the ivory bosom into the pallid cheeks; the raiment of black and curling tresses wavered in the wind; the head of the jewelled snake that held them sparkled beneath ...
— Ayesha - The Further History of She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed • H. Rider Haggard
... me, I suggested that the bees might probably have died from the growth of a fungus, and requested some of the dead bees might be sent for examination. They were transmitted to me in a very dry state; and a careful inspection with a lens afforded no indications of vegetable growth. I then broke up a specimen, and examined the portions under a compound microscope, using a Nachet No. 4. The head and thorax were clean; but on a portion of the sternum were innumerable very minute, linear, slightly curved ...
— Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society - Vol. 3 - Zoology • Various


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