| 释义 |
aboveadv.prep.n.adj. Origin: Formed within English, by derivation. Etymons: a- prefix3, bove adv. Etymology: < a- prefix3 + bove adv. (see discussion at that entry). The formation is not paralleled in other Germanic languages. The simplex ufan (see anoven adv.) originally had the same meaning as the compounds bove adv., bove prep., and above . Compare also anoven adv., bebove prep., bibufenn adv., which are synonymous, but formed with different prepositions as first element.With above measure at Phrases 3b compare Anglo-Norman and Middle French oultre mesure , outre mesure , French outre mesure (late 13th cent. in Anglo-Norman). The forms aboon , aboun , abowne , etc., show loss of the medial syllable. The β. forms show loss of final -n (compare the forms at bove adv. and prep.). The γ. forms result from reanalysis of the first element as a reduced form of of prep. (compare a prep.2). The Older Scots spellings with medial -oi- are variant spellings for -ui- , perhaps intended to reduce confusion of minim strokes. The origin of the Older Scots forms with medial -eo- is uncertain; they may represent variant spellings for -eu- , itself occurring as an occasional spelling for the reflex of Middle English close ō (the result of predominantly northern lengthening of u in an open syllable). Although the adverbial and prepositional uses are treated separately, in the development of meaning they form historically only a single series; and, as in about adv., prep.1, adj., and int., in certain modern uses, the grammatical distinction is slight (see for example sense A. 11). A. adv. I. Expressing position in or movement to a place that is higher. society > leisure > the arts > literature > a written composition > parts of a written composition > [adverb] > mentioned above or previously lOE (Laud) anno 1090 Ðissum þus gedon eallswa wæ ær abufan sædan be þam cynge & be his broðer. 1340 (1866) 247 (MED) Þe bysye lyue huerof we habbeþ aboue yspeke. c1350 (a1333) William of Shoreham (1902) 136 (MED) Hy þre by, ase ich sede a-boue, Diuers ine work. ?a1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac (N.Y. Acad. Med.) f. 23 (MED) As it was seid aboue. 1450 in J. Raine (1855) II. 208 (MED) The residue of all my gude that remanys over my legate, as it is wrytyn abowne. ?1530 J. Rastell sig. Aiii As the lyne & petegre a boue shewyth. 1574 in W. Greenwell (1860) II. 405 The Rest of all my Land I gyf and leiff to my sone..except that aboun is exceptet. 1641 in J. Nicholson 2 Jan. (1855) 165 To content and pey to the said Johne Penrie the soumes of money above specifeit. 1690 W. Leybourn 337 The three sorts of Mixed Aequations above expressed, are all that can happen in Quadraticks. 1743 tr. L. Heister (1768) i. xv. 110 Foment the Eye with Stuphs wrung out of the Decoctions which we prescribed above. 1798 J. Gilchrist in 5 87 The simple rude horology described above suffices..the Asiatics in general. 1848 J. H. Parker (ed. 5) App. 42 The chapels and aisle surrounding these apses, tends very much..to give that lumpishness mentioned above. 1884 A. Watt xxvi. 219 If preferred, he evaporates to nearly ‘salting point’ before adding any of the substances mentioned above. 1913 12 156 From the cases cited above, it is evident that Judge Pollock's view..was erroneous. 1948 W. W. Tarn II. ii. 311 It remains to consider the Susian satrapy mentioned above. 2007 Sept. 17/1 Its new sensitivity-boosting technology (see above). the world > space > relative position > high position > [adverb] > overhead a1225 (c1200) (1888) 123 Ne mai ȝie iðolien none unclannesse on godes temple, ne beneðen on ði likame..ne abuuen on ðire saule. c1330 (?a1300) (Auch.) (1973) 7959 (MED) Þer was mani wombe þurth schoue and mani heued cleued aboue. c1405 (c1395) G. Chaucer (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 574 He knew ful wel how fer Alnath was shoue Fro the heed of thilke fixe Aries aboue. 1483 ( tr. G. Deguileville (Caxton) (1859) v. i. 68 Angels also I sawe fleen to and fro,..by see and land, and in the eyer abouen. 1570 J. Foxe (rev. ed.) I. 372/2 In the meane while the Christians..were pelted and pashed with stones by them which stode aboue. 1602 W. Shakespeare iv. ii. 68 My maids Aunt Gillian of Brainford, hath a gowne aboue. 1611 Prov. viii. 28 When hee prepared the heauens, I was there..when he established the cloudes aboue. 1668 J. Dryden iii. 26 A Woman's in a sad condition, that has nothing to trust to, but a Perriwig above, and a well-trim'd shoe below. 1708 J. C. Compl. Collier 17 in T. Nourse (ed. 3) The Remainder of four Yards is left for a Pillar to support the Roof and Weight of the Earth above. 1741 E. F. Haywood 71 Mrs. Brown made this Regale, you are so fond of mewing yourself up in that Chamber above, said she to me, that one would imagine you met a Sweetheart there. 1833 M. Scott II. iv. 126 A cot, or hammock,..slung from cleats nailed to the beams above. 1850 W. Wordsworth i. 18 Far above Was nothing but the stars and the grey sky. 1864 C. Dickens (1865) I. i. iii. 16 In another corner a wooden stair leading above. 1899 E. Œ. Somerville & ‘M. Ross’ 252 Dr. Fahy's basement storey, with the rookery of paying guests asleep above. 1941 J. A. Hammerton 111 If the aircraft is over cloud and with clear sky above, [etc.]. 1996 N. Maraire ii. 19 The floor was formed of fat roots of the baobab trees whose sparse branches loomed high above. the world > space > relative position > high position > [adverb] the world > the earth > land > landscape > high land > [adverb] c1225 (?c1200) (Bodl.) (1934) 38 (MED) We liuieð bi þe lufte..ant ure weies beoð abufen wið þe windes. a1350 Recipe Painting in (1844) 1 66 (MED) Tac a ston..that wol kevere the vessel, ant clos hit above wel ant faste. ?a1425 (c1400) (Titus C.xvi) (1919) 174 (MED) Syrie..hath abouen, toward ynde, the kyngdom of Caldee. a1500 (?a1400) (1887) l. 1459 (MED) A-bove they left that gentilman, With wyld beestis to haue kyde. 1646 Sir T. Browne v. xix. 260 The Mermaids..with womans head above, and fishy extremity below. View more context for this quotation 1695 M. Prior 3 Cannons above, and mines below, Did death and tombs for foes contrive. 1743 P. Francis & W. Dunkin tr. Horace (new ed.) I. iii. iii. 11 Thus to the flamy Towers above, The vagrant Hero..Upsoar'd. 1795 W. Mason i. 37 Twelve pair of Bellows, rang'd in stated row, Are joined above, and fourteen more below. 1893 ‘Q’ 47 The larches and Scotch firs that serrate the long ridge above. 1948 W. J. Stokoe I. 274 The caterpillar..is slaty-brown, inclining to olive-drab above. 1990 May 136/1 After exploring the abbey, walk up onto the terrace above. the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > surface > [adverb] c1300 (Harl. 2277) (1845) l. 265-6 (MED) Above the here siththe, thabyt of monek he nom, And siththe clerkes robe above. 1340 (1866) 236 (MED) Ac þes kertel ssel habbe þane huyte gerdel aboue..Þe gerdel aboue betocneþ chastete. a1400 (a1325) (Vesp.) l. 3366 (MED) Sco belted hir bettur on hir wede Wit mantel clad o bouen o rede. a1450 in T. Austin (1888) 14 (MED) Caste pouder Gyngere, a-bouyn on þe dysshe. 1611 Num. iv. 25 The couering of the badgers skinnes that is aboue upon it. View more context for this quotation 1689 R. L'Estrange tr. Erasmus (ed. 2) xxii. 286 That wears Linnen above, and Woollen to the Skin-ward. the world > the supernatural > deity > heaven > [adverb] > in Heaven a1325 (c1250) (1968) l. 332 Ge..sulen..ben so wise alle euene So ðo ðe wunen a-buuen in heuone. c1390 (?a1300) (Vernon) (1867) i. l. 355 (MED) Þe whuche was sent to vre ladi..From hire sone þat is aboue. ?a1425 (c1380) G. Chaucer tr. Boethius v. pr. vi. 330 God, byholdere and forwytere of alle thingis, duelleth above. a1450 (Vesp.) (1902) 1040 (MED) Þat we bide in blis obufe. 1509 A. Barclay (Pynson) f. xviv God is aboue and regneth sempiternally. a1573 W. Lauder (1870) 36 God that rings aboue. 1647 H. More i. ii. 40 And ever naming God, he lookd aboven. 1697 G. Burghope 25 The Temple..a Type and Samplar..of the Heavenly Temple that is above. 1738 J. Wesley (new ed.) xciii. iii The Floods, O Lord, lift up their Voice,..But God above can still their Noise. 1776 T. Paine iii. 57 But where says some is the King of America? I'll tell you Friend, he reigns above, and doth not make havoc of mankind like the Royal Brute of Great Britain—of Britain. 1814 R. Southey vii. 95 That vow hath been pronounced, and registered Above. 1850 Ld. Tennyson lxxxiii. 117 And whether trust in things above, Be dimm'd of sorrow, or sustain'd. View more context for this quotation 1932 W. Faulkner xvi. 352 A sign from God above that town..was not doing him anything but harm. 1996 F. McCourt (1997) ix. 250 A mother with a pram will say to other mothers, God above, missus, you must be fagged out carrying that child. the world > the earth > water > rivers and streams > system > [adverb] > up-river c1330 (?c1300) (Auch.) l. 3483 Þai ben bi-neþen & we aboue [i.e. on a hill]. c1400 (?c1380) l. 1023 Þe cyte stod abof ful sware. a1470 T. Malory (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) I. 162 Aboven thereby was the hede of the streme, a fayre founteyne. 1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie (1888) I. 30 Abone or vppirmer, vpon Leuin, is the toune. 1770 G. Cartwright 27 Aug. (1792) I. 30 About four miles above, are several small low islands, on which grow many fine white, and black spruces. 1845 W. G. Simms 1st Ser. 16 There's ne'er a house either above or below for a matter of fifteen miles. 1879 Rep. Select Comm. Thames River (Prevention of Floods) Bill 92/2 in (H.C. 178) XIII. 515 As affecting the general flow and régime of the river, it [sc. a partial damming] produces no effect, but in its own locality it does lower the water both above and below. 1905 (App. 6) p. xlv. (table) Left bank, Demerara river, from Canister Falls, to a point 4 miles above. 2011 D. Hyndman & D. Hyndman (ed. 3) viii. 227 (caption) An irrigation canal along a steep hillside in Logan, Utah, just east of the slide, with a retaining wall on the slope above. c1400 (?c1390) (1940) 73 (MED) Þay wenten to sete, Þe best burne ay abof. c1400 (?c1390) (1940) 112 (MED) Bischop Bawdewyn abof biginez þe table. c1450 (1904) I. 248 (MED) Whethir is wurthi to sit aboue att the table, þe fathur or þe son? 1646 H. Mill xviii. 96 The major vote is, she must sit above; And next to her, the Haxter and his Love. II. figurative and in extended use. a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris (1873) 2nd Ser. 81 (MED) On ech swich flite, is man of þoleburdnesse abuuen at ende. c1325 (c1300) (Calig.) 7960 (MED) Þo þe king was al aboue, of noþing he nas aferd. ?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng (Petyt) ii. 32 (MED) He wild do þe bataile, & þei suld be aboue. c1405 (c1395) G. Chaucer (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 64 He is at his auantage al aboue. a1450 ( in J. Kail (1904) 14 (MED) What bryngeþ a kyngdom al aboue? Wys counseil, and good gouernaunce. 1487 (a1380) J. Barbour (St. John's Cambr.) ix. 94 Vencust is he, And gerris his fayis abovin [1489 Adv. abowne] be. 1530 Deut. xxviii. f. xlviii And the Lorde shall sett the before and not behinde, and thou shalt be aboue only and not beneth [1611 King James And the Lord shall make thee the head and not the tail; and thou shalt be aboue only and shalt not be beneath]. the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > mastery or superiority > [adverb] society > society and the community > social class > nobility > rank > [adverb] > of higher rank a1325 (c1250) (1968) l. 1518 He was for his faderes luue Holden wurðelike a wel a-buuen. c1405 (c1395) G. Chaucer (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 87 Thanne was he bothe in lordshipe & seruage. Seruage nay but in lordshipe aboue. a1425 (?a1300) (Linc. Inn) (1973) l. 321 (MED) Now þow art abowe, þenk what we dude for þy loue. c1475 (?c1400) (1842) 17 (MED) Be riȝt dome of hem þat are abouen to þe kirk. ?1530 Sir R. Constable in T. Stapleton (1839) 228 Make me a letter of atturney unto some of your frinds aboufe to clame your arreareges. 1575 J. Rolland iv. f. 56v Thay will that Vesta be aboue [printed abone] In all estait. c1600 in G. Stevenson (1910) xxxiii. 27 Ȝitt causit I him [sc. David] to ring abone. 1696 D. Manley 42 He..wou'd have contracted himself, if I durst without my Father's Consent: He intended to write to his Friends above, to ask it. a1764 C. Churchill Farewell in (1933) II. 392 Placed low ourselves, we censure those above. 1766 J. Entick Surv. London in IV. 47 The secondary, whose office is to return writs, mark warrants, impannel juries for the courts both above and below, and also for the sessions. 1847 A. Brontë iv. 61 Your efforts are baffled and set at naught by those beneath you, and unjustly censured and misjudged by those above. 1851 H. Melville xxxviii. 187 He would be a democrat to all above; look, how he lords it over all below! a1911 D. G. Phillips (1917) II. iv. 71 She realized why those above lost all patience with them, treated them with contempt. 1995 P. McCabe (1996) 4 Which was why they went on about the masters above in the school. 1340 (1866) 35 (MED) Þet wors ys: hi wylleþ rekeny tuyes oþer þries þet yer uor to do arise þet gauel and wylleþ yet habbe yefþes aboue uor eche terme. 1450 in 3rd Rep. Royal Comm. Hist. MSS (1872) App. 280 in (C. 673) XXXIII. 337 The old enheritaunce..hath continued in the issue male..fro Geferey Plantegenet to his awyn persone a fyv hundred yere abone before the seid Gefereys days. a1616 W. Shakespeare (1623) ii. ii. 127 This..hath my daughter shew'd me: And more aboue hath his soliciting, As they fell out..All giuen to mine eare. 11. Surpassing something in quantity, amount, or number; more than a stated amount. a1399 in W. G. Benham (1907) 9 Gryndyng stones of iiij. fote and above, jd. 1459 in J. Raine (1855) II. 222 (MED) The eldest soon of the said Sir Thomas, than beyng of the said age of xxij yere or a boon. 1512 in T. Rymer (1712) XIII. 328/2 All Prisoners, beyng Chieftens..and one Shippe Royall being of the Portage of Two Hundred Tonnes or above..Reserved to our said Soveraign Lord. 1610 P. Holland tr. W. Camden ii. 167 An eranc of Wheat was sould for 20 shillings and above. 1717 I. Newton Let. 21 Sept. in (1976) VI. 415 When ships are lading for the East Indies the demand of silver for exportation raises the price to 5s 6d or 5s 8d per ounce or above. 1858 J. H. Bennet 100 For old men, eighty-four or above, only 125 grains [of urea is excreted]. 1917 A. G. Empey 283 ‘Big Boys’. Large guns, generally eight inch or above. 2004 25 June 8/3 Pontianak was passed uncut by the censorship board, but is rated for aged 18 and above. the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > [adverb] > in or to a greater quantity, amount, or degree > more than 1482 R. Cely Let. 22 May in (1975) 155 I hawhe whorkmene a settyng in Berwyke parke abouhe xij Ml stakys. ?1482 W. Mydwynter Let. 20 Sept. in (1975) 177 Y trostyd that I solde nat a bowte ther wolle aboffe—xiij s. viij d. a tod. 1509 S. Hawes xvi. 59 She is not yet in al above xviii. yere. 1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach iv. f. 164 Of Goose Egs,..neuer sette vnder a Henne aboue fiue. 1603 W. Shakespeare ii. ii. 438 It was neuer acted: or if it were, Neuer aboue twice. 1660 R. Coke Elements Power & Subjection 64 in By a general abhorrence, democracy hath been exploded upon the face of the earth for above 1700 years. 1713 R. Steele No. 11. 71 These Motions are performed by Wheels, which are above fifty in Number. 1728 J. Morgan I. iv. 284 Above 40,000 died by the Weapons of their merciless Pursuers, the Spanish Cavalry. 1789 R. Norris Journey to Court of Bossa Ahádee in (1968) 112 Above a hundred of them held either gold, or silver-headed canes, in their hands. 1849 T. B. Macaulay I. 335 Above a sixth part of the nation is crowded into provincial towns of more than thirty thousand inhabitants. 1894 Sept. 4 He had used the sea for above thirty years, had built, owned and commanded ships. 1919 M. Gyte 28 Feb. (1999) 212 I have noticed it for above a week. 1963 Jan. 1 A tea caddy containing above 230 ounces of gold could be seen at the White House. the world > matter > properties of materials > temperature > measurement of temperature > [adverb] > above or below zero a1857 D. Thompson (1916) i. vi. 120 The first and most changeable Mirage is seen in the latter part of February and the month of March, the weather clear, the wind calm, or light; the Thermometer from ten above to twelve degrees below zero.] 1944 E. B. White Mar. (1976) 251 There was a snow squall the first night, and next morning it came off cold—one above. 1974 Mar. 11 Our winter so far has been mild with about one week of a cold snap. It was around 20 degrees above. 1995 E. Arthur 511 It was a nice day, five above, and relatively windless. 2007 (Nexis) 29 Jan. Whether it's 10 degrees below or 100 degrees above, you gotta get out and make it happen. c1425 J. Lydgate (Augustus A.iv) i. 2875 Þouȝ þat trouthe was apparent above, Doubliness..was in schoue. a1450 (?a1300) (Caius) (1810) l. 1689 Kyng Roger spak fyrst above. a1475 Bk. Curtasye (Sloane 1986) l. 750 in (2002) i. 324 Þo squyer to kechyn shalle go, And brynges a bof for assay þo. a1500 (a1400) (Chetham) (1889) l. 798 (MED) Derne love..all ways wyll be above To them that shall it havnte. B. prep. I. Expressing position in or movement to a place that is higher. the world > space > relative position > high position > high upon [preposition] > over or above the world > space > extension in space > measurable spatial extent > vertical extent > [preposition] > higher than c1175 (Burchfield transcript) l. 1059 Þatt oferrwerrc þatt wass. Abufenn þarrke timmbredd. a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden (St. John's Cambr.) (1872) IV. 197 (MED) Cesar swam..wiþ oon hond and hilde þe chartres above þe water in his oþer hond. a1425 (a1400) (Galba & Harl.) (1863) l. 2794 (MED) Þat place es neghest aboven hel pitte, Bytwen purgatory and itte. a1470 T. Malory (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) I. 52 What swerde ys that yondir that the arme holdith aboven the watir? a1500 (?c1450) 134 (MED) Eche bar other to the erthe, and theire horse abouen hem. 1572 (a1500) (1882) 818 Their speiris in splenders away Abufe thair heid sprent. 1611 Gen. i. 7 And God..diuided the waters, which were vnder the firmament, from the waters, which were aboue the firmament. View more context for this quotation a1616 W. Shakespeare (1623) ii. i. 397 Now by the sky that hangs aboue our heads, I like it well. View more context for this quotation 1667 J. Milton vii. 3 Above th' Olympian Hill I soare, Above the flight of Pegasean wing. View more context for this quotation 1730 A. Gordon tr. F. S. Maffei 245 The out-jetting Window added above the Entries. 1771 T. Smollett II. 202 She was most remarkable for the frisure of her head, which rose..seven inches above the scalp. 1833 W. Wordsworth xxxii Hell opens, and the heavens in vengeance crack Above his head. 1881 F. Young §930 The simple stage of three, four, or more straight shelves rising one above another is easily made. 1937 J. W. Day 129 Five ducks come out of the sunset and swing low above me. 1992 Aug. 46/2 The insulation layer is installed directly above the ceiling. c1175 (Burchfield transcript) l. 15234 Þær wass an bennkinnge lah..& oþerr wass abufenn þatt. c1325 (c1300) (Calig.) 523 (MED) Corineus..to an hei roche him drou Þat stod aboue þe se an hei. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus (BL Add.) f. 163v Hilles ben y clepid mountaynes for þey passen vpward abouen þat oþer dele. a1425 (a1400) (Galba & Harl.) (1863) l. 4760 (MED) Þe se sal ryse..Abowen þe heght of ilka mountayne. c1480 (a1400) St. George 255 in W. M. Metcalfe (1896) II. 183 A-beowe þe wattyre. a1500 (a1400) (Cambr.) (1844) 1077 (MED) The chylde..Gothe them among..A fote above them alle. 1554 D. Lindsay Dialog Experience & Courteour 5463 in (1931) I Ierome sayis, it sall ryse on heycht Abone montanis, to mennis sycht. 1598 A. M. tr. J. Guillemeau 30/1 The third is the Schiaticke vayn, which externallye demonstrateth her selfe above the anckle. 1653 I. Walton ii. 43 The Otter which you may now see above water at vent. View more context for this quotation 1695 W. W. 37 Run into the Belly about two Inches above the Navel. 1739 C. Labelye 69 The Side-walks for the Foot-passengers are..raised about a Foot above the Carriage-way. 1791 G. Huddesford i. 24 And elevate his trembling mast Above the billowy precipice. 1855 C. Kingsley Theseus in ii. 212 The citadel of Corinth towering high above all the land. 1892 9 Feb. 2/1 The fire-pump..has a throwing power of sixty feet above the highest pinnacle of the hotel. 1923 B. Carman 176 He will steer the shadow cruiser, Dark before and doom beneath, Down the last expanse, till morning Flares above the broken sea. 1945 A. Huxley (new ed.) xiv. 145 He..looked..up at the statue above him. 1996 Dec. 32/1 The DJ box is elevated above the crowd, presumably to protect the DJs from the frenzy that grips the place. a1300 in C. T. Clay (1926) 169 Under the kirkegate (1 acre and 3 roods), obouen the kirkegate (1½ acres). c1340 ( Bounds (Sawyer 472) in S. E. Kelly (2012) 375 Erest of elde dych aboue stibbe, þanne endlang weyes on strete. ?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng (Petyt) ii. 42 (MED) Bot in þe ȝere after, obowen Grimsby Eft þei gan aryue. 1423 Petition in (1907–9) 7 308 (MED) Issues of ffresh waters to the See of certen townes liggyng abowve the saide towne of Sutton. 1487 (a1380) J. Barbour (St. John's Cambr.) x. 31 Thar Iohne of lorne gert his menȝhe Enbuschit be abovyn [1489 Adv. abowyn] the vay. a1500 (a1460) (1897–1973) 167 (MED) From egyp to mantua, vnto kemp towne; From sarceny to susa, to grece it abowne; Both normondy and norwa lowtys to his crowne. 1564 Knox Let. in P. F. Tytler (1864) III. 402 Two barges..came in our Firth, abone the Inch. 1607 B. Jonson ii. i. sig. D2v Pray you Sir, confirme me, Were there three Porcpisces [= porpoises] seene aboue the Bridge, As they giue out? View more context for this quotation 1683 W. Penn 8 The Skulkill being an hundred Miles Boatable above the Falls. 1721 No. 5982/2 Above London-Bridge [they] met with two Gallies. 1787 T. Jefferson Notes Virginia ii, in (1984) 131 Pamunkey is then capable of navigation for loaded flats to Brockman's bridge, 50 miles above Hanover town. 1855 H. Martineau 36 Behind and above it the vale head rises into grandeur. 1891 W. Morris i. 2 His own house..stood on the banks of the Thames, a little way above an ugly suspension bridge. 1937 27 76 By the stream above Mr. Whittle's place are the grape ferns. 1960 J. Betjeman v. 50 The skiffs were moored above the lock. 1989 J. McPhee (1991) 91 Three hundred miles up the Mississippi River from its mouth—many parishes above New Orleans. c1300 St. Thomas Becket (Laud) l. 2279 in C. Horstmann (1887) 172 Þe Cardinales nolden nouȝt is bodi al on-wreo, And somdel a-boue is cloþes heo a-soileden him. a1375 (c1350) (1867) 1721 (MED) Sche..festened hire in þat fel wiþ ful gode þonges aboue hire trie a-tir. a1450 (?c1421) J. Lydgate (Arun.) (1911) 1544 (MED) And Tydeus abouen his haberioun A Gypon hadde. 1487 (a1380) J. Barbour (St. John's Cambr.) xvi. 581 A chemeyr, for till heill his veid, Aboue [1489 Adv. Apon] his armyng had he then. 1523 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart I. ccxvii. 275 The sayd lordes toke on them to weare aboue all theyr garmentes, the redde crosse. 1570 G. Fenton tr. J. de Serres iii. 179 Souldioures with white shirtes aboue their garmentes. 1600 E. Fairfax tr. T. Tasso xi. iv. 196 The Bishops dond their albes and copes of state, Aboue their rockets button'd faire before. 1636 D. Lupton 278 From their middle they were girded with a vaile to the middest of the thigh, and under that a pure linnen garment which went to the ground: above it a round garment of Violet-colour. c1710 C. Fiennes (1888) 15 Their peticoates silke yt were with furbellows one above another with Ribons. 1742 J. L. in 12 118 Our clothing is a beaver or skin tuggy, above our other clothes. 1843 C. Dickens (1844) xv. 192 Martin..wore a soiled, old cloak above his ordinary clothes. 1854 B. P. Shillaber 18 A chain of massive gold is borne Above his flashy vest. 1923 18 203 The dalmatic..was a kind of upper tunic, that is, worn above the traditional Roman tunic. 1950 W. C. O'Kane xii. 160 Articles made by the men in Hopi towns—embroidered ceremonial kilts, the brocaded sashes that are worn above the kilts..and blankets to be worn around the shoulders. 2004 (Nexis) 24 Apr. (Mag.) 68 The eccentric, two-ended neckties (that create the illusion of two ties, one worn above the other). c1400 (?c1380) (1920) 38 (MED) When he were sette solempnely in a sete ryche, Abof dukez on dece. c1405 (c1387–95) G. Chaucer (Hengwrt) (2003) 53 Ful ofte tyme he hadde the bord bigonne Abouen alle nacions in Pruce. a1438 (1940) i. 93 (MED) Þe lady..set hir at hir owen tabil a-bouyn hir-self. 1602 W. Watson 51 At the table aboue all others their otherwise equals. 1719 in T. D'Urfey V. 349 Ye lofties, Genteels, who above us all sit. 1766 O. Goldsmith II. xiii. 221 The question was whether my eldest daughter, as being a matron, should not sit above the two young brides. 1819 W. Scott I. vii. 147 The beautiful Jewess [was] scoffed and sneered at by the proud dames who sat above her. 1840 E. Broughton (ed. 2) xx. 368 I sat above all the other demoiselles,—and Sidi Hassan headed the Janissaries at the lower end of the long numerously-flanked, and hospitably-covered tables. 1989 W. Shawcross (BNC) 104 The King could not be asked to the dinner because protocol would demand that he be seated above Carter. 2003 M. A. Beatty xxiii. 85 Thus Princess Louisa was seated above the French princesses, who were only entitled to folding chairs. 1572 T. Twyne tr. Dionysius Periegetes sig. E v Aboue Babylon towards the north, dwell a people called Cissi. 1580 J. Dee 10 Sept. in (1842) 8 Sir Humfry Gilbert graunted me my request to him, made by letter, for the royaltyes of discovery all to the North above the parallell of the 50 degree of latitude. 1604 E. Grimeston tr. J. de Acosta i. xx. 67 Many hold, that above Florida, the Land runnes out very large towards the North. 1698 J. Bilberg tr. ii. 20 The Northern Land, above and below Tartary. 1722 D. Coxe 9 The River of the Naches..10 or 12 Leagues above its Mouth, divides...The South Branch is Inhabited by the Corroas, the North by the Naches. 1787 E. A. W. von Zimmermann i. 8 The greatest part of Europe being situated above the 45th degree of northern latitude. 1838 S. Parker (1846) xvi. 210 The country about and above the arctic circle, where these evidences of volcanic fires are not found. 1848 E. D. Mansfield (1849) xiii. 278 Above the 37th degree Mexico had conceded every thing. 1945 14 Feb. 6/7 The Marshalls, the mid-Pacific cluster of coral pileups just above the equator. 1967 N. Mailer x. 174 He has to talk about what Tex and him were presented with there all alone up above the Arctic Circle. 1993 Nov. 38/1 In Philadelphia, for instance, even as many above the Mason-Dixon line were tut-tutting Bull Connor, 22 blacks were arrested for rioting. 1575 (rev. ed.) ii. X ij b Those two numbers whiche expresse a fraction, haue seuerall names. The ouermost which is aboue the line, is called the Numerator. 1622 D. Browne ii. 32 The whole rowme betwixt any line which thou shalt happen to write, and the line aboue the same. 1667 tr. F.-P. de Lisola 136 Three lines above this he doth specifie the Causes. 1727 W. Mather (ed. 13) 38 That which is called Caret..is to shew where a Word forgotten..and placed above the Line, is to come in. 1821 May 28/2 The words contained in the body of this receipt were written above the signature, fraudulently and without the knowledge of Smith. 1861 A. Wallace xxvi. 377 We read in the chapter above this one, about the goodness of God to us in the gift of his Son Jesus Christ. 1908 109 1130/1 I find from an inspection of the signature of the defendant and the language written on the back of the notes above the same that no change or alteration is apparent. 1996 (Nexis) 27 Oct. The effect of Kee's article was to give academic support to the article above it by Jordan. 2014 E. McGrail & J. P. McGrail in K. E. Pytash & R. E. Ferdig iv. 67/1 Can you tell me which words are prepositions in this paragraph or in the paragraph above this one? II. figurative and in extended use. c1175 (Burchfield transcript) l. 9176 Romess kine dom..wass hæfedd kine dom Abufenn oþre unnfæwe. ?c1335 in W. Heuser (1904) 95 (MED) Þe heiȝ king aboue vs alle. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus (BL Add.) f. 17 Archangelis beþ aboue angels. c1450 (c1380) G. Chaucer (Fairf. 16) (1880) l. 394 The foule Roiale aboue ȝow in degre. ?a1475 (1922) 175 (MED) Aboue me is no kynge. a1513 J. Irland (1926) I. 161 God honorit oure nature..abon the angellis. 1579 L. Digges & T. Digges 84 The Corporal is a degree in dignitie above the private souldior. 1611 1 Chron. xxvii. 6 This is that Benaiah, who was mightie among the thirtie, and aboue the thirtie. View more context for this quotation a1616 W. Shakespeare (1623) iii. ii. 88 Men must learne now with pitty to dispence, For Policy sits aboue Conscience. View more context for this quotation 1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Georgics iv, in tr. Virgil 140 He breath'd of Heav'n, and look'd above a Man. View more context for this quotation 1718 No. 57. 2 You Dress, not only above your Circumstances, but above your Condition. 1798 S. Lee Young Lady's Tale in H. Lee II. 86 [She] left unnamed, and unprovided for, the young woman she had raised so far above her condition. 1855 J. McCosh (ed. 4) iii. i. 299 The conscience looks to a law above it. 1894 5 May 503/1 It cuts off the old hopes of ‘bettering oneself’, of rising above one's class. It collectivises even hope. 1956 2 Apr. 69/1 Its central institution was the feudal system, a pyramidal social structure in which each man was the vassal of a man above him. 1997 A. Sivanandan ii. vii. 203 All you have got to do is to get rid of the Tamil guy above you somewhere and you get your promotion. 1340 (1866) 234 (MED) Uor maidenhod aboue alle oþre states berþ þet gratteste frut. c1405 (c1385) G. Chaucer (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 1909 I byquethe the seruice of my goost To yow abouen euery creature. c1443 R. Pecock (1927) 228 (MED) We be takun as creaturis more worþi þan beestis and leding a lijf aboue þe lijf of beestis. a1475 J. Fortescue (Laud) (1885) 136 (MED) To some men he hath done in lyke wyse aboff thair merites. 1535 Psalms xliv. 7 God hath anoynted the with the oyle of gladnes aboue thy felowes. 1579 Tale Hemetes the Heremite in A. Fleming tr. Synesius sig. e.ijv Being shifted from the sight of that I sought aboue all things in the worlde. a1616 W. Shakespeare (1623) i. ii. 169 He furnishd me..with volumes, that I prize aboue my Dukedome. View more context for this quotation 1667 J. Milton x. 176 Because thou hast done this, thou art accurst Above all Cattel. View more context for this quotation 1720 D. Defoe 4 He told me, with a great deal of Passion, that he loved me above all the rest. 1766 at Ascarides The horses that breed ascarides are, above all others, subject to slime and wormy matter. 1829 W. Wordsworth xxxvii Taught to prize Above all grandeur, a pure life uncrossed By cares. 1877 M. Oliphant (ed. 2) xv. 369 [He] had shown himself unrivalled and above all competitors. 1902 W. C. Smith 191 I would fain rob her life of the jewel She prized above everything. 1938 D. Baker iii. ii. 173 He was blessed above the run of band-leaders. It isn't given to all organizers to have a stand-out in their organizations. 1997 14 July 45/2 Americans seem to expect this company, above all others, to reflect their values. 10. 1340 (1866) 113 (MED) Þise breade [i.e. of the Eucharist]..is uirtuous and substanciel aboue onderstondigge. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus (BL Add.) f. 12 Aungel haþ inwit in a manner as god hath; þerfore he is aboue tyme & vndirstondith al at ones & not o þing aftir a noþir. c1440 R. Rolle Desire & Delight (Thornton) 29 in (1931) 58 (MED) Cristez lufe..lyftes abown layery lustes and vile covaytes and abown all affeccyouns and thoghtes of any bodily thynge. a1530 W. Bonde (1531) iii. f. Clxxxviiv They wyll reason ye mysteryes of our fayth, whiche be aboue reason. 1592 J. Lyly i. i Least desiring things above my reach, I be fiered with Phaeton. 1653 I. Walton 6 We enjoy a contentednesse above the reach of such dispositions. View more context for this quotation 1688 T. Shadwell v. i. 71 Great Souls are above Ordinances. 1749 J. Cleland II. 190 Louisa, whose appetite was up, and who, like the industrious bee, was, it seems, not above gathering the sweets of so rare a flower, tho' she found it..on a dunghill. 1782 J. Priestley I. i. 61 It was not pretended that the subject was above human comprehension. 1819 W. Wordsworth xxviii. 4 My spirit seems to mount above The anxieties of human love. 1832 H. Martineau iii. 42 [He] was quite above owing his meal to the request of a little girl. 1894 R. Kipling 193 I'm not above stampeding myself, for the fun of the thing, when I haven't been out for a day or two. 1923 J. Conrad ii. 13 They would not have been above cutting his throat. 1954 T. S. Eliot iii. 102 You're either above caring, Or else you're insensible. 2002 A. Holmes i. 2 The others—the Mail and the Express, in particular—considered themselves above such tittle-tattle. 1641 W. Prynne 314 Not content with the dignity of his Episcopall Office, he did now in his mind walke in great and wonderfull matters above himselfe, having a mouth speaking great things, with a most vaine heart. 1704 III. xiv. 372 The sharp Answers the Parliament gave to their Addresses, and the reprehensions for their presumption in medling with matters above them, gave the Army new matter to reply to. a1715 Bp. G. Burnet (1724) I. iii. 407 The King, who was yet firmly united with France, dismissed them with a very angry speech, checking them for going so far in matters that were above them and that belonged only to him. 1849 J. Ruskin vii. §9 It is far better to give work which is above the men, than to educate the men to be above their work. 1867 J. Blackwood Let. 11 Dec. in (1956) IV. 406 I inclose revise of Felix Holt's Address... The only fear is its being too much above your audience. 1939 A. McCowen Diary 13 Dec. in (1979) 49 See Rep. Comp, do ‘Candida’ bit above me but very good. 2007 P. A. Lather vii. 138 It made it more interesting, very much more interesting, but I had a hard time with the middle part about angels. It's just a little bit above me, I think. 1340 (1866) 35 (MED) Aboue þe catel [gaueleres] nimeþ þe heȝþes oþer ine pans oþer ine hors oþer ine corn. c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 372 Nedes moste he wynne..A thousand frankes abouen al his costage. 1432 in J. B. Sheppard (1889) 162 (MED) They owe us..xliiij li. xiij s. besyde and above the acquitaunce of xvij lb. vj s. viij d. wyche we sende yow at Trynite tyme. 1450 V. 192/2 That this present Act, Petition or Resumption, strech and extende to the summe that..ech of theym hath above the summe yerely of x li., and not byneth. c1540 J. Bellenden tr. H. Boece xvi. v. f. ccxxxiiii For aboue mony othir his vailyeant dedis, he brint ye suberbyllis of Carlele, hauand bot two seruandis in his cumpany. 1565 J. Hall tr. Lanfranc ii. xiv. 30 So hathe Theriaca, beside and aboue the elementary complexion. 1611 R. Fenton ii. ix. 72 Taking for the loane any thing more, besides or aboue the money lent, by way of contract or couenant made at the time of the same loane. a1687 W. Petty (1691) vi. 97 The People..which have extraordinarily perished..above what have died in the ordinary way. 1730 in D. G. Barron (1892) 140 It cannot be proven that ever there grew so much as twelve bolls of bear upon the said two tacks communibus annis above the seed. 1828 D. M. Moir 19 Couple above couple dating the day of their happiness from that famous forgathering. a1393 J. Gower (Fairf.) i. 2833 (MED) Him thoghte he herde a vois on hih Criende, and seide aboven alle: ‘Hew doun this tree.’ 1516 (Pynson) f. xliv As he prechyd at Rome of enuye they range ye bellys & blewe the Organes & his voyce was harde aboue them all wherof ye people thankyd our lord. ?1576 A. Hall sig. I Maister Beamond..let goe a rouncing poupe, which base was hearde aboue the Countertenor. 1658 A. Jackson Annot. Prov. vii. 761 in By her loudnesse may be meant..that her tongue will be heard above all whereever she comes. 1700 W. Burnaby iii. i. 28 It is the most Essential Property of the Vulgar to speak loud; their common Discourse is some Degrees above the Noise of a Drum. 1769 W. J. Mickle (new ed.) 17 His jocund tongue Is heard above the noise of all the noisie throng. 1819 W. Scott II. xv. 298 You may hear them above all the din and shouts of the battle. 1869 ‘M. Twain’ ii. 29 Finally, above the banging, and rumbling, and shouting and hissing of steam, rang the order to ‘cast off!’ 1898 H. G. Wells i. xii. 103 I heard their screaming and shouting faintly above the seething and roar of the Martian's collapse. 1944 3 July 12/1 Above the noise of hundreds of bombs..his voice barked through the walkie-talkie. 1995 E. Toman ix. 202 ‘Jesus, Mary and Joseph!’ the Tyrone man shouted again above the noise. the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > great in quantity, amount, or degree [preposition] > more than a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus (BL Add.) f. 326v Þe same nombre and somme þat is nouȝt founde..in an nombre aboue ten, byneþe eighte & twenty. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus (BL Add.) f. 335a/a Hemiolia is y ioyned in..noumbres þat beþ aboue viii. a1450 in G. P. Scrope (1852) 258 (MED) Yff ony man woll ferme the parkis and the conyes at ony better price abofe x marks then it ys now. 1549 (STC 16267) (colophon) f. xxxvii*v That no maner of person do sell this present booke vnbounde, aboue the price of .ii. Shyllynges the piece. 1589 G. Puttenham ii. xiv. 103 All aboue the number of three are but compounded of their inferiours. 1672 N. Grew i. 30 Growing to a three-four-five-fold amplitude above their primitive size. 1781 R. Pulteney 42 Celsius's thermometer stood at 30 degrees above 0. 1785 Propositions Respecting Coinage 13 May in T. Jefferson (1953) VII. 196 In some other countries silver or gold when coined, are valued above the price of bullion. 1806 V. xvi. 300 John Cotes, Esq...has grown annually to the extent of sixty acres, and his crops have been constantly above average. 1891 7 Oct. 4/4 The output of printed meltons at present is a good deal above the average of a year ago. 1974 E. Bowen vi. 128 The wind was gusting well above thirty knots, with spreckles of fat raindrops beginning to splatter the infield. 1992 23 Mar. 22/4 Above 31C, no pressure on earth can keep carbon dioxide liquid. a1450 L. Power Treat. on Counterpoint in (1935) 10 245 (MED) Re a 10, ffa a 12, sol a 13, ffa be proprechaunt in Ffaut aboue a 15. ?a1500 R. Cutell Treat. Descant in F. Mercer (1935) I. 700 (MED) The quatreble bygynis in the 12, a-bowyn the playn song in voys and with the playnsong in syghte. a1592 H. Smith (1637) 451 A note above Ela is a jarring note, and alwayes makes a discord in the harmony. a1657 G. Daniel Idyllia in (1878) IV. v. 147 From Gamut Earth, notes above Ela Ayre. a1680 S. Butler (1759) II. 429 All he does is forced, like one that sings above the Reach of his Voice. 1706 A. Bedford viii. 163 The Base usually closing in the Fifth above the Key. 1800 (Royal Soc.) 90 134 The fork was a comma and a half above the pitch..of an imaginary C. 1867 J. Tyndall v. 188 When we make the same passage in a stopped pipe, we obtain a note a fifth above the octave. 1895 C. F. A. Williams in 30 The artistic intertwining of various melodies above and below the fixed notes of the cantus firmus or Plain chant. 1954 (ed. 5) III. 168/1 In the 18th century this [sc. the Flute in F] was known as the ‘third’ flute or ‘tierce’, since it stood in pitch a minor third above the ordinary flute. 1993 V. Sage 242 Almost a whole tone flat above the picked D major of the guitar's opening chord. 2006 93 34/1 Using more energy and breath often improves singers who consistently sing above the pitch. 1589 G. Puttenham i. xxxi. 48 I will not reach aboue the time of king Edward the third, and Richard the second for any that wrote in English meeter. 1652 Let. 24 May in E. Walker (1705) 243 Truly two or three hundred Years goes very far with most of our English Familes, and above that time it is very difficult to derive any that have not been very eminent. 1691 A. Wood I. 604 Because we have no matriculation books above the time of Q. Elizab. the memory of many eminent Men in Church and State is lost. 1788 E. Gibbon IV. xliv. 361 In the selection of ancient laws, he [Hadrian] seems to have viewed his predecessors without jealousy, and with equal regard: the series could not ascend above the reign of Hadrian. 1863 A. P. Stanley I. ii. 40 We are still above the point of separation between the various tribes. 1874 E. P. Hood in W. White 11 A whole life of invariable rectitude, and doctrines, and principles, ever above the hour. C. n.the world > action or operation > prosperity > in prosperous condition [phrase] > a superior position or condition the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > mastery or superiority > [phrase] > attain superiority or mastery of a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden (St. John's Cambr.) (1869) II. 29 (MED) Men of þe oþer side schal haue þe better ende and be at here aboue [L. praevalere]. a1393 J. Gower (Fairf.) iv. 914 (MED) If thou art such in love, Thou miht noght come at thin above Of that thou woldest wel achieve. ?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng (Petyt) (1996) i. l. 7098 I haf hulpen to ȝour aboue. tr. Palladius (Duke Humfrey) (1896) i. 199 (MED) And vynys..By processe vp beeth brought to their aboue, Yet not but footis iiij in febil londe. 1477 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre (1913) 27 I hope to come to thaboue of myn enterpryse. 1484 W. Caxton tr. (1926) vii. 92 [He] cometh to the aboue of his enemyes. a1500 (a1400) (Chetham) (1889) 103 (MED) Fro she come to here above..Her thought no prynce her pere. 1509 S. Hawes (1928) xvi. 72 Whan you come to her she wyll make you chere With countenaunce accordynge vnto loue Full pryuely for to come to her aboue. 1515 S. Hawes (new ed.) l. 94 I durst not speke vnto her of my loue Yet vnder coloure I dyuers bokes dyde make Full pryuely to come to my aboue. a1400 tr. Lanfranc (Ashm.) (1894) 161 Þe lungis touchiþ not þe herte, saue in þe aboue [L. in parte superiori] þere it is maad fast togidere. 1822 P. B. Shelley 48 Truth, who wanderest lone and unbefriended, If thou canst veil thy lie-consuming mirror Before the dazzled eyes of Error, Alas for thee! Image of the Above. 1851 F. W. Robertson (1863) 4th Ser. vi. 33 In God's world there is not one monotony of plains without hills... There is an above and there is a below. 1909 G. W. James vii. 94 In Zuni, the above—the region of the sky—is symbolized by any and all colors, the below is black. 1986 H. W. Fawkner i. 29 Freudianism posits an equator line dividing the mind into an Above and a Below. the world > time > relative time > the past > antecedence or being earlier > [noun] > the aforesaid 1691 J. Watson in J. Burnyeat 183 The above is a Copy of a Letter Writ by John Burnyeat to Roger Roberts. 1708 28–30 July Solve the Above, ye Lepid Gods. 1753 9 July (advt.) 3/2 Young Gentlemen and Ladies are instructed in either of the above, so as to be capable to perform it themselves in a little Time. 1779 J. Moore II. xcvi. 437 Just as I was concluding the above, I received yours. 1813 J. Austen III. iv. 64 Since writing the above, dearest Lizzy, something has occurred of a most unexpected and serious nature. View more context for this quotation 1872 ‘M. Twain’ xxvi. 195 One or two things which will help the reader to better comprehend certain items in the above. 1910 E. M. Forster vi. 49 Occasional bursts of song (of which the above is an example). 1942 10 iv. 385 Enough passages like the above could be found..to yield Professor Stebbing cannon-fodder for at least a chapter. 1997 Sept. 140/3 Terry leching over best bud's other half, Terry accidentally winding up in bed with the above. D. adj.the mind > language > speech > [adjective] > commenting or mentioning > aforementioned the world > time > relative time > the past > antecedence or being earlier > [adjective] > aforesaid ?1515 W. Harrington sig. bii Also the same Richard may mary the aboue..Robert syster. 1581 J. Derricke sig. Hiijv He verifieth and approueth the aboue saiyng by hym self. 1627 J. Smith xiv. 70 These Peeces be good and also seruiceable to be mixt with the aboue Ordnance. 1669 Will of R. Mayor in (1889) 23 Aug. 8/1 After her deceyse, the above three acres or daye's workes of arrable land..to my daughter, Ursula Mayor. 1707 J. Mortimer xvii. 425 In the above Scheme, the first Column is the Names of the Fields, [etc.]. 1767 A. Young 270 It may..admit of a query, Whether the above expences are not too great for the crops to repay? 1831 23 July 3/4 The above Estate is Freehold. 1873 H. C. Banister iii. 11 The above signs for the Breve measure being omitted. 1919 J. Conrad iv. ii. 157 The above sequence of thoughts was entirely unsympathetic. 1959 A. Arnold ii. 24 Ten days after the above letter was written, Lawrence learnt of the suppression of The Rainbow by the English authorities. 1990 T. Cunliffe xiv. 120 Should you be faced with the above horror show.., you'll have to use the single controlling line technique. Phrasesa1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris (1873) 2nd Ser. 195 (MED) Þe nes non abuuen eorðe him ilich on almesse. a1400 (?a1350) (Egerton) (1927) l. 37 (MED) Þe king of Troye haþ..Þe feirest þing aboue moolde..a shepes skyn of golde. a1425 (a1400) (Galba & Harl.) (1863) l. 849 (MED) His body, Yf it suld lang oboven erthe ly, It myght þe ayr swa corrumpud mak. c1450 (1905) II. 383 (MED) Þies iiij brethur war onone streken..& rotid abown erde. ?1614 G. Chapman tr. Homer i. 8 Diuine Vlysses, yet, abides not dead Aboue earth, nor beneath; nor buried In any seas, (as you did late conceiue). 1877 P. J. Bailey (ed. 10) ix. 131 Meanwhile, be it ours to hie Unstayed by aught above earth, or beneath. a1893 C. Sangster (1958) 198 The Sphinx is living, and not dead; No grotesque monster carved in stone, But soul and spirit, flesh and bone; Like nought above earth, or below. 1991 D. Gioia 10 A lock of hair, a piece of an infant's birth cord, All that remains above earth of a first-born son. P2. from (also †fro) above. a1325 (c1250) (1968) l. 4001 Fro abuuen cam to him bi-neðen Word in herte, dat he sal queðen. a1393 J. Gower (Fairf.) i. 3278 (MED) Unto Marie from above..His oghne Sone adoun he sente. c1485 (c1300) (Harl.) l. 386 (MED) Sone thu art hider y-come with thyn angelis, from a-bone. 1535 Gen. xlix. D Helped..wt blessynges of heauen from aboue, with blessinges of ye depe yt lyeth vnder. 1611 James i. 17 Euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue. View more context for this quotation 1794 A. Radcliffe I. ii. 53 We must ask support from above. 1840 G. S. Faber 38 A light from above had infused itself into my expiated..bosom. 1962 C. Ekwensi v. 40 ‘Allah be praised,’ said Jalla. ‘All prosperity is from above.’ 2002 52 101 Here we have a Christology that starts from above, descends to the level of a human being, and ascends again to the divine plane. a1425 (a1400) (Galba & Harl.) (1863) l. 612 (MED) For he may se fra his body com, Bathe fra aboven and fra bynethe, Alkyn filthe with stynkand brethe. a1500 (a1460) (1897–1973) 27 (MED) All shal be fordone..with floodis that from abone shal fall. 1575 G. Turberville 241 The..moysture of the head distilling from aboue, vpon those breathing partes, and there encreased..breede difficultie of breathing. 1687 A. Lovell tr. J. de Thévenot i. 200 A neat Brazen Door..pierced through to let in light from above. 1720 viii. 251 She..descended into that Room full of Company as a Miracle appearing in a Machine from above. 1834 New Ser. 1 42/1 London rain,..a true right-lined, continuous, equable outpouring of water pellets from above. 1913 J. Conrad i. 9 Pale shafts of light slant from above into the gloom of its chilly passages. 1998 Feb. 116/2 The arrangement gives you easy access to the slots from above. 1465 M. Paston in (2004) I. 297 Ye shuld..haue a wrytte from a-bove for to delyuer yt. 1615 Earl of Exeter Let. 23 Aug. in (1935) 125 I haue lately receiued letters from aboue, to make my repaire to the Court very shortly. 1655 H. L'Estrange 54 It is..the perpetuall lot of those who are of choisest admission into Princes favours, to feel as strong reverberations of envie and ill will from beneath, as they do irradiations of grace and favour from above. 1904 7 May 8/1 Everything emanates from above in the Land of the Bear. 1941 ‘G. Orwell’ i. 15 The liberty to..choose your own amusements instead of having them chosen for you from above. 2006 14 Jan. b1/3 It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that Admiral Rempt is under intense pressure from above. P3. a1393 J. Gower (Fairf.) Prol. 971 (MED) Division aboven alle Is thing which makth the world to falle. c1400 (c1378) W. Langland (Laud 581) (1869) B. x. l. 357 Þat is—loue þi lorde god leuest aboue alle. a1425 (?a1400) G. Chaucer (Hunterian) (1891) l. 5750 Her hertis arn in grete distresse That folk lyue not holily But abouen all specialy Sich as prechen veynglorie. 1518 J. Colet Statuta Paulinae Scholae in J. H. Lupton (1887) 277 The Maister shall..first se that they canne the cathechyzon... I will the Chyldren lerne ffirst aboue all the Cathechyzon in Englyshe. 1603 W. Shakespeare i. iii. 78 This aboue all, to thy owne selfe be true. 1691 T. Beverley 7 Above all I persevere, that within the Six next Summers, viz. in 97, the Kingdom of Christ shall be in its Succession. 1796 J. Morse (new ed.) II. 568 Persia contains mines of..above all, turquoise stones. 1845 A. M. Hall I. v. 80 Irish improvements need perpetual refreshing, and, above all, Patience. 1903 H. James i. i. 4 Having, above all, for the moment, nobody and nothing to consider. 1993 P. O'Brian i. 12 Stephen was well acquainted with him as a shipmate and above all as a patient. a1439 J. Lydgate (Bodl. 263) v. 2435 (MED) Outraious he was aboue mesure..Hatful also to eueri creature, And heuy born of worthi kynges thre. 1557 2 Cor. x. 13 We wil not reioyce aboue measure. 1660 T. M. IV. 56 The newes of this victory so fleshed our bloodhounds that they began to boast above measure. 1761 L. Sterne III. xxii. 112 When corporal Trim had brought his two mortars to bear, he was delighted with his handy-work above measure. 1871 ‘G. Eliot’ (1872) I. iii. 51 All the while being visited with conscientious questionings whether she were not exalting these poor doings above measure. 1950 21 461/2 I am sure that Chaucer, Hugo, Goethe, Cervantes, Dantes, and the rest would be rejoiced above measure to be allowed to speak to their audience without hindrance and not darkly through a fog of footnotes. 2002 J. Scodel vii. 216 Portraying Aristippus as the teacher of tippling ‘above measure’. a1393 J. Gower (Fairf.) vii. l. 2719 (MED) His pouer [sc. a king's] stant above the lawe, To yive bothe and to withdrawe The forfet of a mannes lif. a1450 (a1396) W. Hilton 14 (MED) Whanne he was aboue þe lawe as maker and ȝeuer of it, ȝit he made him buxum vndir þe lawe. 1586 G. Whetstone iii. i. 203 The king..is aboue the law, although many good kings suffer themselues to be gouerned by their good Lawes. 1639 G. Rivers 25 Nero..did perswade himselfe that an Emperour was above the Law, and must also bee without it. 1749 H. Fielding V. xv. vi. 240 A pretty civilised Nation truly, where Women are above the Law . View more context for this quotation a1811 R. Cumberland Torrendal iii, in (1813) I. 334 When the culprit is above the law, A man's own spirit must be his avenger. 1850 R. W. Emerson Plato in ii. 91 Let such be free of the city and above the law. 1973 Oct. 111 Apparently, in the eyes of one dazzled by his own celebrity,..superstardom puts a man above the law. 2002 10 Jan. i. 2/6 Gangs of youths roiling in his constituency, feeling themselves to be above the law. 1565 J. Hall tr. Lanfranc iv. ii. 39 Indeuoure thy selfe to worke, aboue and beyond that whiche thou findest wrytten in bokes, and especiallye in Algebra. 1665 J. Crowne ii. 139 But above and beyond all his hopes and expectations, the King looks upon him with a smooth brow. 1793 A. Fuller xiii. 275 His subject raises him, raises him above and beyond himself. 1846 D. Corcoran 33 A prisoner whom we at once knew was above and beyond the ordinary class of lock-up prisoners. 1916 J. Joyce iii. 125 Let us try..to make this retreat in honour of St. Francis with our whole heart... But, above and beyond all, let this retreat be one to which you can look back in after years. 1996 J. Doran 123 She..was always there to help us out in difficult times, above and beyond the call of duty. 1611 T. Middleton & T. Dekker sig. H2v Seb. Heere take this viall, runne vpon the guts, And end thy quarrell singing. Mol. Like a swan aboue bridge, For looke you heer's the bridge, and heere am I. 1660 xiii. sig. C3v He intended tomorrow to wait on her, to the Castle of Sir—Admiral of Thamesis above Bridge. 1701 G. Parker sig. A2 Below Bridge the Water Ebbs 7 Hours and flows 5. Above Bridge it ebbs 8 Hours and flows 4, according to the Water-men's Observations. 1766 12 Feb. The River has been so much froze as to stop the Navigation above Bridge. 1816 22 Aug. The two above-bridge extra men were—John Fenton…Whitehall. Charles Smith…Arundel-stairs. 1863 Rep. Sel. Comm. Thames Conservancy p. xviii, in (H.C. 454) XII. 1 Some improvements have been made about Teddington Lock, but the rest of the river above bridge seems still to merit..the censure of the official engineer. 1906 G. R. Sims (rev. ed.) II. 243/1 The pleasures and sports of the Thames are principally above bridge; the business part lies below. 1998 D. Pool (new ed.) 16 From the standpoint of the riverfront, London Bridge really marked the entrance to the city; indeed, directions on the river were frequently given with reference to it as ‘above bridge’ or ‘below bridge’. 1655 F. Osborne iv. 108 If he found his side worsted, he had the dexterous sagacity to mount the Argument above the Heads of the major part. 1804 F. Ames (1809) 283 The body of the people, who cannot feel a spirit of rivalship towards those, whom they see elevated by nature and education so far above their heads, are more equitable, and..more intelligent judges. 1865 E. C. Gaskell iii. 76 Mr. Holdsworth..often talked above her head in intellectual matters. 1914 J. Joyce 221 He was undecided about the lines from Robert Browning for he feared they would be above the heads of his hearers. 1995 K. Atkinson (1996) ii. 58 Lillian took him to a meeting at the Educational Settlement but it was a bit above his head. P8. a1682 Sir T. Browne (1716) i. 30 If our merits be above our Stations..our intrinsecal Value be greater than what we go for. 1762 O. Goldsmith II. 114 His wishes now rise one step above his station;..his prospects widen as he ascends. 1776 E. Gibbon I. iv. 91 Maternus, a private soldier, of a daring boldness above his station, collected these bands of robbers into a little army. 1816 W. Scott III. iii. 64 She brought me up abune my station. 1893 A. Conan Doyle Musgrave Ritual in May 483/1 I've always been proud above my station in life, and disgrace would kill me. 1926 H. Keyserling iii. 288 Each person should attempt, if possible, to marry above his station. 2005 12 Aug. 22/2 Someone who expresses cultural ambition above their station by wearing cheap, trendy clothes and jewellery. 1795 4 Nothing unnecessary, or tending to instil Ideas above their Station, is provided for the Boys. 1853 R. B. Brough & W. Brough ii. i. 26 And then she's got ideas above her station, Through having had a fairy education. 1998 S. Waters i. 16 It might give Nancy ideas above her station... We couldn't have that. 2001 S. Brett (2002) xxxii. 207 Like the other residents of the village, she was very quickly condemning Pauline Helling for having ideas above her station. P9. above oneself. 1823 Dec. 522/2 Dolly..was so highly puffed that Master Caxon's widow could not help thinking that the girl was getting above herself. 1845 F. Douglass x. 79 Does he ever venture to suggest a different mode of doing things from that pointed out by his master? He is indeed presumptuous, and getting above himself. 1915 W. S. Maugham cxi. 585 Once or twice he spoke sharply to Philip; he thought the young man was getting a bit above himself. 1928 Mar. 895 ‘You're a bit above yourself, my dear,’ she said. ‘You're only a little girl.’ 2001 P. Duncan ii. 47 Ruth Ann and the rest of them had thought Cassandra was getting above herself, taking that office job when she got out of high school. the world > animals > mammals > group Ungulata (hoofed) > family Equidae (general equines) > temperament > [adverb] > not having had sufficient training or exercise the mind > emotion > excitement > [adverb] > in a state of excitement 1842 ‘Nimrod’ 115 Ladies' horses..should not be too highly fed; and, if at all above themselves, should be ridden by a careful servant. 1856 G. J. Whyte-Melville xv They were, what is termed in stable language, very much above themselves. 1890 R. Kipling (1899) I. 455 I have..seen more decent men above or below themselves with drink, than I care to think about. 1898 20 June 7/2 At Ascot, horses that are a little above themselves, as it is termed, always show to more advantage than the fine-drawn class. 1937 V. Woolf 282 He was a little flushed, a little, as nurses used to say, ‘above himself’. 2003 (Nexis) 20 June 48 He was above himself and the run will have done him good. 1827 W. Hone I. 76 The little lads..think it must have hurt him ‘above a bit!’ 1848 E. C. Gaskell I. ix 158 I loved her above a bit. 1876 ‘P. Pyper’ II. 138 There's some on 'em..is gruntling over it above a bit. 1918 27 Mar. 206/1 Her funnel's caked with Cape Horn ice and blistered in the sun, She's moseyed round above a bit, and, poor old ship, she's done. 2003 A. Garner (2004) 93 ‘Now then, Father.’ ‘Yon was a tragwallet [= journey] and a bit.’ ‘Above a bit. But it made a mighty penny.’ This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2009; most recently modified version published online June 2022). <  adv.prep.n.adj.lOE |
