up

Etymology

From Middle English up, from Old English upp, from Proto-Germanic *upp, see more there.

adv

1. Away from the surface of the Earth or other planet; in opposite direction to the downward pull of gravity.
   I looked up and saw the airplane overhead.
2. To or at a physically higher or more elevated position.
   All day we climbed up and up.
   1925, Walter Anthony and Tom Reed (titles), Rupert Julian (director), The Phantom of the Opera, silent movie ‘The Phantom! The Phantom is up from the cellars again!’
3. To a higher level of some quantity or notional quantity, such as price, volume, pitch, happiness, etc.
   Gold has gone up with the uncertainty in the world markets.
   Turn it up, I can barely hear it.
   Listen to your voice go up at the end of a question.
   Cheer up, the weekend's almost here.
4. To or in a position of equal advance or equality; not short of, back of, less advanced than, away from, etc.; usually followed by to or with.
   I was up to my chin in water.
   A stranger came up and asked me for directions.
5. (intensifier) Used as an aspect marker to indicate a completed action or state; thoroughly, completely.
   I will mix up the puzzle pieces.
   Tear up the contract.
   He really messed up.
   Please type up our monthly report.
   Drink up. The pub is closing.
   Can you sum up your research?
   The meteor burned up in the atmosphere.
   I need to sew up the hole in this shirt.
6. To or from one's possession or consideration.
   I picked up some milk on the way home.
   The committee will take up your request.
   She had to give up her driver's license after the accident.
7. To the north (as north is at the top of typical maps).
   I live in Florida, but I'm going up to New York to visit my family this weekend.
8. Towards or at a central place, or any place that is visualised as 'up' by virtue of local features or local convention, or arbitrarily, irrespective of direction or elevation change.
   We travelled from Yorkshire up to London.
   I'm going up to the other end of town.
   He lives up by the railway station.
9. (rail transport) Towards the principal terminus, towards milepost zero.
10. Aside or away, so as no longer to be present or in use.
    to lay up riches; put up your weapons
11. (sailing) Against the wind or current.
12. (Cartesian graph) In a positive vertical direction.
13. (cricket) Relatively close to the batsman.
    The bowler pitched the ball up.
14. (US, bartending) Without additional ice.
    A Cosmopolitan is typically served up.
15. (UK, academia, dated) To university, especially to Cambridge or Oxford.
    She's going up to read Classics this September.
    The son of the Dean of Lichfield was only three years older than Steele, who was a lad of only twelve, when at the age of fifteen, Addison went up to Oxford. 1867, John Timbs, Lives of wits and humourists, page 125
    Others insinuated that women 'crowded up to Cambridge', not for the benefits of a higher education, but because of the proximity of 2,000 young men. 1998, Rita McWilliams Tullberg, Women at Cambridge, page 112
    A precocious mathematician, Babbage was already well versed in the Continental mathematical notations when he went up to Cambridge. 2002, Peter Harman, Cambridge Scientific Minds, page 79

prep

1. Toward the top of.
   The cat climbed up the tree.
   They walk up the steps.
2. Toward the center, source, or main point of reference; toward the end at which something is attached.
   The information made its way up the chain of command to the general.
   I felt something crawling up my arm.
3. From south to north of.
   We sailed up the East Coast of England from Ipswich to South Shields.
   Though the storm raged up the East Coast, it has become increasingly apparent that New Jersey took the brunt of it. October 31 2012, David M. Halbfinger, New York Times, retrieved 2012-10-31
4. Further along (in any direction).
   Go up the street until you see the sign.
5. From the mouth towards the source of (a river or waterway).
   He led an expedition up the Amazon.
6. (vulgar slang) Of a man: having sex with.
   Phwoar, look at that bird. I'd love to be up her.
7. (colloquial) At (a given place, especially one imagined to be higher or more distant from a central location).
   I'll see you later up the snooker club.
   “I'll tell you how I got on in the fight if I should see you up the Smokers.” 2016, Alan Moore, Jerusalem, Liveright, published 2016, page 94

adj

1. Facing upwards.
   Turn the cloth over so that the patterned side is up.
   Suppose that we roll a fair die and flip a fair coin in a game that awards 10 dollars whenever one pip shows on the up face of the die and 2 dollars whenever a head shows on the up side of the coin. 1983, Gary E. Meek, Stephen J. Turner, Statistical Analysis for Business Decisions, page 41
2. On or at a physically higher level.
   The flood waters are up again across large areas of the country.
3. Headed or designated to go upward (as an escalator, stairway, elevator etc.) or toward (as a run-up).
   Where is the up escalator?
4. Fitted or fixed at a high or relatively high position, especially on a wall or ceiling.
   All the notices are up now.
   The Christmas decorations are up.
5. (by extension) Available to view or use; made public; posted.
   Is your new video up yet? I looked on the website, but I couldn't find it.
6. Aloft.
   The kite is up!
7. Raised; lifted.
   The castle drawbridge was up.
   Don't go into the living room just now – I've got the carpet up.
8. Built, constructed.
   Are the new buildings up yet?
9. Standing; upright.
   The audience were up and on their feet.
10. (obsolete) Risen up, rebelling, in revolt.
11. Awake and out of bed.
    I can’t believe it’s 3 a.m. and you’re still up.
12. (horse-racing) Riding the horse; mounted.
13. (of the sun or moon) Above the horizon, in the sky.
    It'll get warmer once the sun's up.
14. Larger; greater in quantity, volume, value etc.
    Sales are up compared to last quarter.
    My temperature is up this morning.
15. Indicating a larger or higher quantity.
    The barometer is up, so fine weather should be on the way.
16. Ahead; leading; winning.
    The home team were up by two goals at half-time.
17. Finished, to an end
    Time is up!
    Her contract is up next month, so it's time to negotiate another one.
18. In a good mood.
    I’m feeling up today.
19. (usually in the phrase up for) Willing; ready.
    If you are up for a trip, let’s go.
20. Next in a sequence.
    Smith is up to bat.
21. (not used attributively) Happening; new; of concern. See also what's up, what's up with.
    What's up, bro?
    What is up with that project at headquarters?
    When I saw his face, I knew something was up.
22. (poker, postnominal) Said of the higher-ranking pair in a two pair.
    AAKK = aces up
    QQ33 = queens up
23. Well-informed; current.
    I’m not up on the latest news. What’s going on?
24. (computing) Functional; working.
    Is the server back up?
25. (of a railway line or train) Traveling towards a major terminus.
    The London train is on the up line.
26. (US, bartending) Chilled and served without ice.
    Would you like that drink up or on ice?
27. (slang) Erect.
28. (UK) At university (especially Oxford or Cambridge).
    When I was up (1965–68) I had a group of idle friends who occupied their time and mine betting on horses, getting drunk and sprawling about telling creepy tales. 2002, Philip Pullman, “Dreaming of Spires”, in Daemon Voices, Vintage, published 2017, page 98
29. (slang, graffiti) well-known; renowned
    Being "up" means having numerous graffiti in the tagging landscape. 1996, Matthew Busby Hunt, The Sociolinguistics of Tagging and Chicano Gang Graffiti, page 71
    Graffiti writers want their names seen by writers and others so that they will be famous. Therefore writers are very serious about any opportunity to “get up.” […] The throw-up became one of the fundamental techniques for getting up, and thereby gaining recognition and fame. 2009, Gregory J. Snyder, Graffiti Lives: Beyond the Tag in New York's Urban Underground, pages 16–40
    From his great rooftop pieces, selected for high visibility, to his sneaky tags and fun loving stickers, he most certainly knows how to get up. 2011, Adam Melnyk, Visual Orgasm: The Early Years of Canadian Graffiti
    Won by Park Top (Lester Piggott up), at Epsom on June 5, 1969 2003, Nicolas Barker, The Devonshire Inheritance: Five Centuries of Collecting at Chatsworth

noun

1. (uncountable) The direction opposed to the pull of gravity.
   Up is a good way to go.
2. (countable) A positive thing, or a time or situation when things are going well.
   I hate almost everything about my job. The only up is that it's so close to home.
   There are many ups to caravanning, but also many downs.
   I've been on an up all this week.
3. (particle physics) An up quark.
4. An upstairs room of a two story house.
   She lives in a two-up two-down.

verb

1. (transitive, poetic or in certain phrases) To physically raise or lift.
   We upped anchor and sailed away.
2. (transitive, colloquial) To increase the level or amount of.
   If we up the volume, we may be able to hear what he says.
   As usual, they've upped the prices for Valentine's Day.
   Part of the woman's mystique, I guess. Makes people want to meet her all the more. A year ago, she upped her stock with that crowd when she bought the Midnight Star — among the world's most famous star sapphires 2008, Randy Wayne White, Black Widow, page 181
   After a dreadful performance in the opening 45 minutes, they upped their game after the break and might have taken at least a point from the match. December 10, 2011, Marc Higginson, “Bolton 1 - 2 Aston Villa”, in BBC Sport
3. (transitive, colloquial) To promote.
   It wasn’t long before they upped him to Vice President.
   The other day Mr. Meyer came to see me in Weinbergers, it caused a great sensation & I think upped me a lot in prestige there 1940, Jessica Mitford, Peter Y. Sussman, Decca: The Letters of Jessica Mitford, published 2010, page 64
   "Ryker's a--" He swallowed. "A cop. Used to work Sleeve Theft, then they upped him to the Organic Damage Division. 2003, Richard K. Morgan, Altered Carbon, page 136
   (And who, by the way, got his start as a producer from Desi Arnaz, who upped him from film editor to take charge of the Desilu series The Untouchables 2005, Larry Brody, Turning Points in Television, page 70
4. (intransitive, often in combination with another verb) To rise to a standing position; hence, by extension, to act suddenly; see also up and.
   She was sitting there quietly, then all of a sudden she upped and left.
   He just upped and quit.
   He upped and punched that guy.
   But the swagman he up and jumped into the waterhole, Drowning himself by the coolibah tree. And his ghost may be heard as it sings by the billabong, 'Who'll come a'waltzing Matilda, with me.' 1895, “Waltzing Matilda”, Banjo Paterson (lyrics)
   And she didn't leave a letter, she just upped and ran away 1991, Michael Jackson (lyrics and music), “Who Is It”
5. (intransitive, archaic or poetic) To ascend; to climb up.
   "Will ye up, lass, and ride behind me?". 1863, Charles Kingsley, The Water Babies, page 10
6. (computing, slang, transitive) To upload.
   100 new apps and games have just been upped.