above

prep
/əˈbʌv/US/əˈbʊv/

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ud-s-? Proto-Indo-European *h₂u-s-? Proto-Germanic *uz- Proto-West Germanic *uʀ- Old English ar- Old English ā- Proto-West Germanic *bi- Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Germanic *ub Proto-Germanic *-anē Proto-Germanic *ubanē Proto-West Germanic *obanā Proto-West Germanic *biobanā Old English bufan Old English abūfan Middle English aboven English above From Middle English above, aboven, abuven, from Old English ābufan, onbufan, from on (“on”) + bufan (“over”), (akin to Icelandic ofan (“from above”), Middle Dutch bōven, Old Frisian bova, Middle High German bobene) from bī (“by”) + ufan (“over”); also cognate with Danish oven, Dutch boven, German oben, Swedish ovan, Old Saxon oƀan, Old High German obana. The preposition, the adjective, and the noun derive from the adverb.

  1. inherited from ābufan
  2. inherited from above

Definitions

  1. Physically over

    Physically over; on top of; worn on top of, said of clothing.

    • He always put his coat on above his sweater.
  2. In or to a higher place

    In or to a higher place; higher than; on or over the upper surface.

    • And God said, Let the waters bring foorth aboundantly the mouing creature that hath life, and foule that may flie aboue the earth in the open firmament of heauen.
    • Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady. She stood for a moment holding her skirt above the grimy steps, […] and the light of the reflector fell full upon her.
  3. Farther north than.

    • Idaho is above Utah.
  4. + 24 more definitions
    1. Rising

      Rising; appearing out of reach height-wise.

    2. Higher than

      Higher than; superior to in any respect; surpassing; higher in measure, degree, volume, or pitch, etc. than; out of reach; not exposed to; not likely to be affected by; incapable of negative actions or thoughts.

      • to cut above average
      • Even the chief of police is not above suspicion.
      • He was always above reproach.
    3. Higher in rank, status, or position.

      • to stand head and shoulders above the rest
      • ☞ This word [wrap] is often pronounced wrop, rhyming with top, even by ſpeakers much above the vulgar.
    4. In addition to

      In addition to; besides.

      • above and beyond the call of duty
      • over and above
    5. Surpassing in number or quantity

      Surpassing in number or quantity; more than.

      • That amount is way above our asking price.
    6. In preference to.

    7. Too proud to stoop to

      Too proud to stoop to; averse to; disinclined towards;

      • The owner was above taking more than a token salary.
    8. Beyond

      Beyond; on the other side.

    9. Upstage of.

    10. Directly overhead

      Directly overhead; vertically on top of.

      • Of all the transitions brought about on the Earth’s surface by temperature change, the melting of ice into water is the starkest. It is binary. And for the land beneath, the air above and the life around, it changes everything.
    11. Higher in the same page

      Higher in the same page; earlier in the order as far as writing products go.

      • Nobody has lived in it since the summer of 1879, and it is fast going to pieces. For some three years before the date mentioned above, it was occupied by the family of Charles May
      • That angels are men in the most complete form, and enjoy every sense, may be seen above (n. 73-77); and that the light in heaven is far brighter than the light in the world (n. 126-132).
    12. Into or from heaven

      Into or from heaven; in the sky.

      • He’s in a better place now, floating free as the clouds above.
    13. In a higher place

      In a higher place; upstairs; farther upstream.

    14. Higher in rank, power, or position.

      • He appealed to the court above.
    15. In addition.

    16. More in number.

    17. Above zero

      Above zero; above freezing.

      • It was a cold day at only 5 above.
    18. On the upper half or the dorsal surface of an animal.

      • The sparrow I saw was rufous above and off-white below.
    19. Of heaven

      Of heaven; heavenly.

    20. Being located higher on the same page or on a preceding page.

    21. Heaven.

      • A brother from another mother, sent from the above.
    22. Something, especially a person's name in legal documents, that appears higher on the same…

      Something, especially a person's name in legal documents, that appears higher on the same page or on a preceding page.

    23. Higher authority.

    24. betterment, raised status or condition.

      • Withal they saw of him that he had no doubt but that they should come to their above on the morrow,

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for above. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA