above

[uh-buhv] /əˈbʌv/
adverb
1.
in, at, or to a higher place.
2.
overhead, upstairs, or in the sky:
My brother lives in the apartment above. A flock of birds circled above.
3.
higher in rank, authority, or power:
She was told to speak to the person above.
4.
higher in quantity or number:
books with 100 pages and above.
5.
before or earlier, especially in a book or other piece of writing; foregoing:
the remark quoted above.
Compare below (def 6).
6.
in or to heaven:
gone to her eternal rest above.
7.
Zoology. on the upper or dorsal side.
8.
Theater. upstage.
Compare below (def 9).
9.
higher than zero on the temperature scale:
The temperature dropped to ten above this morning.
preposition
10.
in or to a higher place than; over:
to fly above the clouds; the floor above ours.
11.
more in quantity or number than; in excess of:
all girls above 12 years of age; The weight is above a ton.
12.
superior in rank, authority, or standing to:
A captain is above a lieutenant.
13.
not subject or liable to; not capable of (some undesirable action, thought, etc.):
above suspicion; to be above bad behavior.
14.
of too fine a character for:
He is above such trickery.
15.
rather than; in preference to:
to favor one child above the other.
16.
beyond, especially north of:
six miles above Baltimore.
17.
Theater. upstage of.
adjective
18.
said, mentioned, or written above; foregoing:
the above explanation.
noun
19.
something that was said, mentioned, or written above:
to refer to the above.
20.
the person or persons previously indicated:
The above will all stand trial.
21.
heaven:
truly a gift from above.
22.
a higher authority:
an order from above.
Idioms
23.
above all, most important of all; principally:
charity above all.
Origin
before 900; Middle English above(n) (Cf. aboon), Old English abufan, onbufan (a-1, on + bufan above (cognate with Dutch boven), equivalent to b(e) by + ufan, cognate with Old Frisian uva, Old Saxon oban(a), Old High German obana, German oben, Old Norse ofan above; akin to over); see up; cf. about for formation
Usage note
Above as an adjective (the above data) or as a noun (study the above) referring to what has been mentioned earlier in a piece of writing has long been standard. A few critics object to these uses in general writing, believing that they are more appropriate in business or technical contexts; they occur, however, in all kinds of edited writing.
Examples from the web for above
  • And a considerable amount of public money will be invested in making all of the above happen.
  • Cool a gas of rubidium atoms to one-hundred-millionth of a degree above absolute zero or less and something strange happens.
  • If the epicentre is on the seabed, that also lifts the water above the bed, creating a wave.
  • Each of the three fast-moving storms shown above was photographed at two-minute intervals by the space probe.
  • Create your account and then follow the instructions above.
  • Signals from above the telescope can be identified and ignored.
  • Paper airplane contest awards the flimsy fliers that are a cut above the rest.
  • They talked above the crack of distant rifle and machine-gun fire.
  • H eat loving shrubs have nectar-filled tubular flowers with two lobes above the mouth, three on the lower lip.
  • We've gathered here some of the best cloud formations to see from above.
British Dictionary definitions for above

above

/əˈbʌv/
preposition
1.
on top of or higher than; over: the sky above the earth
2.
greater than in quantity or degree: above average in weight
3.
superior to or prior to: to place honour above wealth
4.
too honourable or high-minded for: above petty gossiping
5.
too respected for; beyond: above suspicion, above reproach
6.
too difficult to be understood by: the talk was above me
7.
louder or higher than (other noise): I heard her call above the radio
8.
in preference to: I love you above all others
9.
north of: which town lies just above London?
10.
upstream from
11.
above all, most of all; especially
12.
above and beyond, in addition to
13.
above oneself, presumptuous or conceited
adverb
14.
in or to a higher place: the sky above
15.
  1. in a previous place (in something written)
  2. (in combination): the above-mentioned clause
16.
higher in rank or position
17.
in or concerned with heaven: seek the things that are above
noun
18.
the above, something that is above or previously mentioned
adjective
19.
mentioned or appearing in a previous place (in something written)
Word Origin
Old English abufan, from a- on + bufan above
Word Origin and History for above
adv.

Old English abufan, earlier onbufan, from on (see on) + bufan "over," compound of be "by" (see by) + ufan "over/high," from Proto-Germanic *ufan-, *uban- (cf. Old Saxon, Old High German oban, German oben), from PIE root *upo (see up (adv.)). Meaning "in addition" first corded 1590s.

Idioms and Phrases with above

above

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