above

prep

1. 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; 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.”

   “Earless ghost swift moths become “invisible” to echolocating bats by forming mating clusters close (less than half a meter) above vegetation and effectively blending into the clutter of echoes that the bat receives from the leaves and stems around them.”

3. Farther north than.

   “Idaho is above Utah.”

4. Rising; appearing out of reach height-wise.
5. (figuratively)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.”

   “I thought you said you were above these kinds of antics.”

   “That's above my comprehension.”

6. 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.”

7. (Scotland)In addition to; besides.

   “above and beyond the call of duty”

   “over and above”

8. Surpassing in number or quantity; more than.

   “That amount is way above our asking price.”

9. In preference to.
10. Too proud to stoop to; averse to; disinclined towards;

    “The owner was above taking more than a token salary.”

11. Beyond; on the other side.
12. Upstage of.

adv

1. (not-comparable)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.”

2. (not-comparable)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).”

3. (not-comparable)Into or from heaven; in the sky.

   “He’s in a better place now, floating free as the clouds above.”

4. (not-comparable)In a higher place; upstairs; farther upstream.
5. (not-comparable)Higher in rank, power, or position.

   “He appealed to the court above.”

6. (archaic, not-comparable)In addition.
7. (not-comparable)More in number.
8. (not-comparable)Above zero; above freezing.

   “It was a cold day at only 5 above.”

9. (not-comparable)On the upper half or the dorsal surface of an animal.

   “The sparrow I saw was rufous above and off-white below.”

adj

1. (not-comparable)Of heaven; heavenly.
2. (not-comparable)Being located higher on the same page or on a preceding page.

noun

1. (uncountable)Heaven.

   “A brother from another mother, sent from the above.”

2. (uncountable)Something, especially a person's name in legal documents, that appears higher on the same page or on a preceding page.
3. (uncountable)Higher authority.
4. (archaic, uncountable)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,”