ABOVE

I. adverb Etymology: Middle English, from Old English abufan, from a- + bufan ~, from be- + ufan ~; akin to Old English ofer over Date: before 12th century 1. in the sky ; overhead , in or to heaven, 2. in or to a higher place, higher on the same page or on a preceding page, upstairs , ~ zero , in or to a higher rank or number , in addition ; besides , upstage , II. preposition Date: before 12th century 1. in or to a higher place than ; over , upriver of, 2. superior to (as in rank, quality, or degree), out of reach of , in preference to, too proud or honorable to stoop to , exceeding in number, quantity, or size ; more than , as distinct from and in addition to , III. noun (plural ~) Date: 13th century 1. something that is ~, a person whose name is written ~, 2. a higher authority, heaven , Usage: Although still objected to by some, the use of ~ as a noun in sense 1a and as an adjective has been long established as standard. IV. adjective Date: 1604 written or discussed higher on the same page or on a preceding page, see: ~