above

a•bove

[[t]əˈbʌv[/t]] adv.

1) in, at, or to a higher place

2) overhead or in the sky:

A flock of birds circled above[/ex]

3) upstairs:

the apartment above[/ex]

4) higher in rank, authority, or power:

the officer above[/ex]

5) higher in quantity or number:

books with 100 pages and above[/ex]

6) before or earlier, esp. in a book or other piece of writing: the remark quoted above

Compare below 6)

7) in or to heaven:

gone to her eternal rest above[/ex]

8) higher than zero on the temperature scale

9) zool. Zool. on the upper or dorsal side

10) sbz upstage

Compare below 9)

11) in or to a higher place than; over:

to fly above the clouds[/ex]

12) more in quantity or number than; in excess of:

all children above 6 years of age[/ex]

13) superior in rank, authority, or standing to

14) not subject or liable to:

to be above suspicion[/ex]

15) of too fine a character for:

above such trickery[/ex]

16) rather than; in preference to:

to favor one child above the other[/ex]

17) beyond, esp. north of:

six miles above Baltimore[/ex]

18) sbz upstage of

19) said, mentioned, or written above; foregoing:

the above explanation[/ex]

20) something that was said, mentioned, or written above

21) the person or persons previously indicated:

The above will stand trial[/ex]

22) heaven:

a gift from above[/ex]

23) a higher authority:

an order from above[/ex]

•

- above all

Etymology: bef. 900; ME above(n), OE abufan, onbufan (a-, on- a- I+bufan above =b(e) by I+ufan, c. OFris uva, OOHG oban(a), ON ofan above; akin to over); cf. up usage: A few critics object to the use of above as an adjective (the above data) or as a noun (study the above) in referring to what has been mentioned earlier in a piece of writing. Both uses, however, have long been standard.