I. ˈə-pər adjective
Etymology: Middle English, comparative of up (II)
Date: 14th century
1.
a. : higher in physical position, rank, or order
the upper lip
upper management
b. : farther inland
the upper Mississippi
2. : constituting the branch of a bicameral legislature that is usually smaller and more restricted in membership and possesses greater traditional prestige than the lower house
3.
a. : constituting a stratum relatively near the earth's surface
b. capitalized : being a later epoch or series of the period or system named
Upper Cretaceous
Upper Paleolithic
4. : northern
upper Manhattan
II. noun
Date: 1789
: one that is upper: as
a. : the parts of a shoe or boot above the sole
b. : an upper tooth or denture
c. : an upper berth
•
- on one's uppers
III. noun
Etymology: up + -er (II)
Date: circa 1968
1. : a stimulant drug ; especially : amphetamine
2. : something that induces a state of good feeling or exhilaration