[Elliptical use of UP adv.1, by omission of a preposition, as against, along, through, etc. Cf. the earlier use of adown and down as prepositions.]
I. Denoting or implying movement.
1. From a lower to a higher point on or along (an ascent); so as to ascend or mount (a stair, slope, etc.).
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., XXVII. (1555), Q iij. After that they brought me vp a stayre Into a chambre.
1530. Palsgr., 828/1. Up the hyll and downe the vale.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., IV. viii. 1. Vp Fish-streete, downe Saint Magnes corner,… throw them into Thames. Ibid. (1602), Ham., IV. iii. 39. As you go vp the staires into the Lobby.
1607. Markham, Cavel., VI. 9. Hee may eyther runne … vp hils, or down hils.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 552. The Sun … When up the Skies he shoots his rosie Head.
1730. Thomson, Autumn, 701. The … exhalations, check’d As up the middle sky unseen they stole.
1786. Burns, On Dining w. Ld. Daer, i. Sae far I sprackled up the brae.
1807. J. Barlow, Columb., I. 190. A heaven-illumined road; Thai … Reach’d o’er the hills, and lengthen’d up the sky.
1828. Lytton, Pelham, II. xviii. If your way is up Pall Mall, I have no objection to join you.
1851. Offic. Catal. Gt. Exhib., 366. By which the weight on the horse’s back is regulated in going up or down hill.
1867. Morris, Jason, I. 208. Who, up the temple steps, beneath the weight Of precious things went bending.
Comb. 1732. E. Erskine, Wks. (1791), 598/2. This phrase … implies, that religion is an up-the-hill work and way.
fig. 1824. Wilson, in Blackw. Mag., Aug., 242. Abusing the Germans up-hill and down-dale.
1844. Dickens, Mart. Chuz., xxxv. All this time, Martin was cursing Mr. Pecksniff up hill and down dale.
b. Extending upwards on.
1574. Southampton Court Leet Rec. (1903), I. 101. The Raylles vpe the steares goynge vpe vnto the Wache towere.
1730. Thomson, Autumn, 679. The vineyard … Spreads o’er the vale; or up the mountain climbs.
1756. Constat, in L. T. R. Particulars for Leases, 4974 (P.R.O.). The dimensions up one pair of Stairs are only Thirty one Feet.
c. U.S. Up into.
1833. [S. Smith], Lett. J. Downing, xxiv. (1835), 98. I … walked straight up chamber. Ibid., 150. When they undertook to cum up-chamber,… it was time to snub ’em.
2. Along (a river, etc.) in a direction from the mouth towards the source.
1513. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scotl., IV. 465. To ane bot [going] wp the watter with cabillis,… xiiij s.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 360 b. They brought in vitayle both vp the streame and down.
1600. Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot., 384/1. Haldand up the said burne to the inver of the burne of Auldclachrie.
1659. Nicholas Papers (Camden), IV. 95. Alexandria, from whence I went up the Riuer Nilus to Cairo.
1698. Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 38. All the Factories on the Coast … as far as the Bay of Bengala, and up Huygly River.
1738. Voy. up the Thames, 15. It was propos’d we should take a Voyage up its Banks.
1814. Scott, Diary, 3 Sept., in Lockhart. With the purpose of running up the loch to see Londonderry.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., ii. I. 191. The Dutch fleet sailed up the Thames.
1877. Miss A. B. Edwards (title), A Thousand Miles up the Nile.
Comb. 1898. Daily News, 17 Oct., 5/4. There was a nice up Channel breeze.
3. Towards the inner or upper end of; into or towards the interior of. Also transf.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., V. ix. 23. His name was Awe; by whom they passing in Went vp the hall.
a. 1700. in Orpheus Caledonius (1725), 28. The wooer he step’d up the House.
1745. P. Thomas, Jrnl. Anson’s Voy., 63. The Treasure … being sent up the Country … out of our Reach.
1818. Sketches of Character (ed. 2), I. 44. Lady Aucherly … sauntered up the room with her three disconsolate nieces.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., ix. II. 482. William’s army began to march up the country.
1863. Mayne Reid, Croquet, i. (1865), 25. A ball croque’d beyond the boundaries is sent to ‘Hong Kong,’ or ‘up the country.’
4. In a direction contrary to; against.
1611. Cotgr., Prendre le vent, to goe vp, or against, the wind.
1618. Breton, Court & Country, A 4. For one that goes up the weather a number goe downe the winde.
1674. N. Cox, Gentl. Recreat. (1677), 77. The Huntsman [should] … then draw round apace, first down the Wind, though usually Deer go up the Wind.
1719. D’Urfey, Pills, III. 269. The Fox has broke Covert,… she runs up the Wind.
1816. Scott, Bl. Dwarf, ii. I gaed a mile round to get up the wind to them.
1838. [see UP-WIND adv.].
5. Along (in a horizontal direction or straight course).
Up street (dial.), along the street or village.
1669. Sturmy, Mariner’s Mag., I. ii. 20. Port, edge towards him [sc. a ship]. We will run up his Side.
1633. [see GO v. 65].
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, I. (Globe), 156. I went up the Shore and down the Shore, but … could see no other Impression.
1758. Johnson, Idler, No. 92, ¶ 6. He … walks up a bye-street.
1851. Mrs. Browning, Casa Guidi Wind., II. 742. The sun strikes, through the windows, up the floor.
1883. Harper’s Mag., Oct., 718/1. It is approached up an avenue.
1886. Froude, Oceana, 63. After breakfast we went up the town.
II. Denoting location.
6. In that part of (a place) which is (regarded as) higher than another, or is more remote from the chief center.
Up State, up-State (U.S.), freq. with reference to the State of New York; also Comb.
1667. Pepys, Diary, 8 Sept. Nova Scotia … hath a river 300 miles up the country, with copper mines.
1750. Gray, Elegy, 112. Nor up the lawn, nor at the wood was he.
1799. Hull Advertiser, 12 Oct., 1/1. All those five tenements up the yard.
1810. Scott, Lady of Lake, II. xxxvi. Far up the lake, ’twere safest land.
1885. Jerome, On the Stage, 43. Mind you all keep well up the stage (‘up’ the stage means towards the back).
1890. Cent. Mag., Aug., 634/1. The man who abandoned a farm up the Hudson.
1901. in N. Amer. Rev., Feb., 162. American girls … imported from small towns up-State.
Comb. 1815. Scott, Guy M., l. We’re just plain up-the-country folk.
1897. Outing, XXIX. 424. Up-the-creek natives.
1901. Daily Chron., 16 Sept., 3/7. All the up-State constituencies.
1904. Arther Ruhl, in Collier’s, XXXIII. 16 July, 16/1. In the short space of an hour the crews of the up-State college [Syracuse], where rowing is almost a novelty, had won the right to be reckoned in the same class with those whose rowing traditions stretch back for years and years.
7. a. At the top of. b. At some distance up on or in. (Cf. UPHILL a., UPSTAIRS adv. 2.)
For fig. expressions see GUM-TREE 2, TREE sb. 7, SLEEVE sb. 2 b. SPOUT sb. 4 b.
1645. Rutherford, Tryal Faith, xxiii. 261. Heaven…, when sight [of faith] faileth us, [is] toylesome and up the mount.
1714. Arbuthnot, etc., Mem. M. Scribl., Introd. His lodging was in a small chamber up four pair of stairs.
1833. Moore, Trav. Ir. Gentl. Search Relig., I. 1. As I was sitting alone in my chambers, up two pair of stairs, Trinity College.
1846. Tennyson, Golden Year, 4. We that day had been Up Snowdon.
1860. Geo. Eliot, Mill on Fl., I. ii. He’ll … sleep up three pair o’ stairs—or four, for what I know.
1890. [see SLEEVE sb. 2 b].
