up / əp/ • adv. 1. toward the sky or a higher position: he jumped up two of the men hoisted her up the curtain went up. ∎  upstairs: she made her way up to bed. ∎  out of bed: Miranda hardly ever got up for breakfast he had been up for hours. ∎  (of the sun) visible in the sky after daybreak: the sun was already up when they set off. ∎  expressing movement toward or position in the north: I drove up to Detroit. ∎  to or at a place perceived as higher: going for a walk up to the stores. ∎ Brit. toward or in the capital or a major city: give me a ring when you're up in London. ∎ Brit. at or to a university, esp. Oxford or Cambridge: they were up at Cambridge about the same time. ∎  (of food that has been eaten) regurgitated from the stomach: I was sick and vomited up everything. ∎  [as interj.] used as a command to a soldier or an animal to stand up and be ready to move or attack: up, boys, and at ‛em. 2. to the place where someone is: Dot didn't hear Mrs. Parvis come creeping up behind her. 3. at or to a higher level of intensity, volume, or activity: she turned the volume up liven up the graphics U.S. environmental groups had been stepping up their attack on GATT. ∎  at or to a higher price, value, or rank: sales are up 22.8 percent at $50.2 million unemployment is up and rising. ∎  winning or at an advantage by a specified margin: there they were in the fourth quarter, up by 11 points we came away 300 bucks up on the evening. 4. into the desired or a proper condition: the mayor agreed to set up a committee. ∎  so as to be finished or closed: I've got a bit of paperwork to finish up I zipped up my sweater. 5. into a happy mood: I don't think anything's going to cheer me up. 6. displayed on a bulletin board or other publicly visible site: he put up posters around the city. 7. (of sailing) against the current or the wind. ∎  (of a ship's helm) moved so that the rudder is to leeward. 8. Baseball at bat: every time up, he had a different stance.• prep. from a lower to a higher point on (something); upward along: she climbed up a flight of steps. ∎  from one end to another of (a street or other area), not necessarily on an upward slope: bicycling up Pleasant Avenue toward Maywood Avenue walking up the street. ∎  to a higher part of (a river or stream), away from the sea: a cruise up the Rhine.• adj. 1. directed or moving toward a higher place or position: the up escalator. ∎  Physics denoting a flavor of quark having a charge of +²/₃. Protons and neutrons are thought to be composed of combinations of up and down quarks. 2. in a cheerful mood; ebullient: the mood here is resolutely up. 3. (of a computer system or industrial process) functioning properly: the system is now up. 4. at an end: his contract was up in three weeks time's up. 5. (of a jockey) in the saddle. • n. inf. a period of good fortune: you can't have ups all the time in football.• v. (upped , up·ping ) 1. [intr.] (up and do something) inf. do something abruptly or boldly: she upped and left him. 2. [tr.] cause (a level or amount) to be increased: capacity will be upped by 70 percent next year. 3. [tr.] lift (something) up: everybody was cheering and upping their glasses. ∎  [intr.] (up with) inf. raise or pick up (something): this woman ups with a stone.PHRASES: get it up vulgar slang have a penile erection.it is all up with inf. it is the end of or there is no hope for (someone or something).on the up and up inf. 1. honest or sincere. 2. Brit. steadily improving or becoming more successful.something is up inf. something unusual or undesirable is happening or afoot.up against close to or in contact with: crowds pressed up against the police barricades. ∎ inf. confronted with or opposed by: I began to think of what teachers are up against today. ∎  (up against it) inf. facing some serious but unspecified difficulty: they play better when they're up against it.up and about no longer in bed (after sleep or an illness).up and down1. moving upward and downward: bouncing up and down. 2. to and fro: pacing up and down in front of her desk. ∎  [as prep.] to and fro along: strolling up and down the corridor. 3. in various places throughout: in clubs up and down the country. 4. inf. in varying states or moods; changeable: my relationship with her was up and down.up and running (esp. of a computer system) in operation; functioning: the new computer is up and running.up the antesee ante.up before appearing for a hearing in the presence of: we'll have to come up before a magistrate.up for1. available for: the house next door is up for sale. 2. being considered for: he had been up for promotion. 3. due for: his contract is up for renewal in June.up for it inf. ready to take part in a particular activity: Nick wasn’t really up for it.up hill and down dale all over the place: he led me up hill and down dale till my feet were dropping off.up on well informed about: he was up on the latest methods.up to1. as far as: I could reach just up to his waist. ∎  (also up until) until: up to now I hadn't had a relationship. 2. indicating a maximum amount: the process is expected to take up to two years. 3. as good as; good enough for: I was not up to her standards. ∎  capable of or fit for: he is simply not up to the job. 4. the duty, responsibility, or choice of (someone): it was up to them to gauge the problem. 5. inf. occupied or busy with: what's he been up to?up with —— an exclamation expressing support for a stated person or thing.up yours (also up your ass) vulgar slang an exclamation expressing contemptuous defiance or rejection of someone.what's up? inf. 1. what is going on? 2. what is the matter?: what's up with you?ORIGIN: Old English up(p), uppe, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch op and German auf.

up Up-Helly-Aa an annual festival held at Lerwick in the Shetland Islands, celebrated as the revival of a traditional midwinter fire festival. The name comes from a variant of Scots Uphaliday, denoting Epiphany as the end of the Christmas holiday, and the current festival dates from the late 19th century.
up to a point, Lord Copper quotation from Evelyn Waugh's Scoop (1938) used to indicate limited agreement with a policy or proposition; Lord Copper in the novel is the overbearing proprietor of the popular newspaper The Beast.
what goes up must come down proverbial saying, early 20th century; commonly associated with wartime bombing and anti-aircraft shrapnel, and often used with the implication that an exhilarating rise must be followed by a fall.

up to or at an elevated position. repr. two OE. words (i) up(p) (said primarily of motion) = OS. up (Du. op), ON. upp, (ii) uppe (said primarily of position) = OS. uppa, ON. uppi; rel. to OHG. ūf (G. auf). The use of up adv. to express complete consumption was prob. adopted from Scand. (e.g. ON. drekka upp drink up). By ellipsis of preps., such as against, along, etc., a new prep. was developed to form collocations like upstairs (XVI).

up Informal Denoting a system or component that is operational and in service and either busy or idle; it has passed all its tests and is in a condition during which random faults may be predicted to give an MTBF.