above

Meanings

Adverb

• Directly overhead; vertically on top of.
• Higher in the same page; earlier in the order as far as writing products go.
• Into or from heaven; in the sky.
• In a higher place; upstairs; farther upstream.
• Higher in rank, power, or position.
• In addition.
• More in number.
• Above zero; above freezing.
• On the upper half or the dorsal surface of an animal.

Adjective

• Of heaven; heavenly.
• Being located higher on the same page or on a preceding page.

Noun

• Heaven.
• Something, especially a person's name in legal documents, that appears higher on the same page or on a preceding page.
• Higher authority.
• betterment, raised status or condition.

Origin

• From Middle English above, aboven, abuven, from Old English ābufan, onbufan, from a + bufan, (akin to Icelandic ofan ("from above"), Middle Dutch boven, Old Frisian bova, Middle High German bobene) from bī + ufan; also cognate with Danish oven, Dutch boven, German oben, Swedish ovan, Old Saxon oban, Old High German obana.
• The preposition, adjective and the noun derive from the adverb.