I. upgrade ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ noun
Etymology: up (II) + grade, n.
1. : an upward grade (as of a road)
ran beside his dogs on the upgrades — Farley Mowat
2.
a. : increase
thefts and forgeries have been on the upgrade — New Orleans (La.) Times-Picayune
b. : a rise toward a better state
on the upgrade with nothing more than the occasional discomfort — O.W.Holmes †1935
II. upgrade ˈ ̷ ̷| ̷ ̷ adverb
Etymology: up (IV) + grade, n.
: toward a higher level on an incline
a locomotive going upgrade — Danforth Ross
III. upgrade | ̷ ̷| ̷ ̷ transitive verb
Etymology: up (I) + grade, v.
: to raise the grade of: as
a. : to improve (as livestock) by the use of purebred sires
b. : to advance to a job requiring a higher level of skill especially as part of a training program : advance in professional rank
c. : to raise the quality of (as a manufactured product)
d. : to raise the classification and usually the price of (a product) without improving the quality
• up·grad·er “+ə(r) noun
IV. upgrade transitive verb
: to extend the usefulness of (as a device) : improve
intransitive verb
: to improve or replace especially a device for increased usefulness
you can upgrade easily
• up·grad·abil·i·ty or up·grade·abil·i·ty ˌəpˌgrādəˈbiləd.ē noun
• up·grad·able or up·grade·able ˌ ̷ ̷ ˈ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ bəl adjective
V. up·grade ˈəpˌgrād noun
Etymology: upgrade , verb
1. : an instance of upgrading
a system that has been through four upgrades
2. : improvement 2b(2)