upstream

Etymology

up- + stream

adj

1. In a direction against the flow of a current or stream of fluid (typically water); upriver.
2. (figurative) Occurring earlier than something else; (also, usually, especially) being an influence on something else; causing a consequence for something else.
   1. (oil industry) Involving exploration and pre-production rather than refining and selling.
   2. (computer networking) In the direction from the client to the server.
   3. (open-source software) Maintained, owned, or associated with the original developers of the given software; in contrast to a modified version downstream.
      You can also check the upstream and/or Debian bug trackers for open and closed bugs and the upstream revision history or newer release(s). 2013, Matthew Helmke, Ubuntu Unleashed 2013 Edition: Covering 12.10 and 13.04, Pearson Education
      If the developer knows the bug is an upstream bug but does not know which bug it is in the upstream bug tracker, he can add an upstream task to the bug report. 2012, Jono Bacon, The Art of Community: Building the New Age of Participation, O'Reilly Media, Inc., page 141
      Because a user generally does not know the pedigree of the open source, it cannot know whether an upstream developer used intellectual property belonging to a third party in developing that software. 2008, Michael Dennis Scott, Scott on Outsourcing: Law and Practice, Aspen Publishers, page 198
      We'll walk through the steps to build FreeS/WAN using the upstream tarball. 2002, Tony Mancill, Linux Routers: A Primer for Network Administrators, Prentice Hall, page 190
   4. (biology) Towards the leading end (5′ end) of a DNA molecule.

adv

1. Against the current.
   In another moment a huge wave, like a muddy tidal bore, but almost scaldingly hot, came sweeping round the bend up-stream. 1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 102

verb

1. (intransitive) To stream upward.
2. (transitive, open-source software) To have (a software library, patch, etc.) accepted by the original developers of the related software, so that they maintain and distribute it.
   I'd be more than happy to upstream your patch.

noun

1. Part of the river towards the upstream direction.
   The total depth of water at the upstream was measured by using a pointer attached to a carriage sitting on the water table walls. 1957, Proceedings of the Iraqi Scientific Societies - Volumes 1-6 - Page 26
2. (open-source software) The original developers or maintainers of software.