Up'per, a.

a.; comp. of up. [O. H. Ger. obaro, oboro, oberō, obarōro, oporōro, oberōro, M. H. Ger. obere, N. H. Ger. ober, oberer; A-S. ufor, higher, from uf, above.] Further up, literally or figuratively; higher in situation, position, rank, dignity, or the like; superior; as, the upper lip; the upper side of a thing; the upper house of a legislature.

Upper Bench (Eng. Hist.), the Court of King's Bench; — so called during the exile of Charles the Second. Burrill. — Upper case, the top one of a pair of compositor's cases, used to hold capitals, small capitals, and references. — Upper ten thousand, the ten thousand highest in wealth or position; the upper class; the aristocracy; — often abbreviated to upper ten. [Colloq. and low. U. S.] — Upper works (Naut.), the parts above water when a ship is properly balanced for a voyage, or that part which is above the main wale.