▪ I. upright, a. and n.
(ˈʌpraɪt, ʌpˈraɪt)
Forms: 1 upp-, 1, 3–4 upriht, 4–5 vpriht, 4 up-, 5 vpryht; 3–5 up-, vpriȝt (4 op-), 4 upriȝte, 5 vpryȝt, vp-ryȝht (upryȝth); Sc. 5 vpe-, 6 vprycht, vpricht, 6– upricht; 3–7 vpright (4–6 vprighte, 5 vpperight), 4–6 vpryght (4 vpperyght, 4–5 vpryghte), 5 upryght (upperyghte, 6 upryghte, upperyght); 4– upright (6 uprighte, 7 uprite).
[OE. up-, uppriht (f. up up adv.1 + riht right a.), = OFris. upriucht (WFris. oprjucht), MDu. oprecht, opregt (Du. oprecht), MLG. uprëcht, upricht (LG. upricht, uprecht, upregt), OHG. (MHG.) ûfrëht (G. aufrecht, -richt), ON. upréttr (Da. opret, Sw. upprät).]
A. adj. I. pred.
1. Erect on the feet or end; in or into a vertical position; perpendicular to the ground or other surface. (Cf. 3.) a. With verbs, as go, rise, sit, stand, walk.
In OE. the advb. form uprihte is occas. used.
| Beowulf 2092 Hyt ne mihte swa syððan ic on yrre uppriht astod. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 3248 Ðe water up-stod..On twinne half, also a wal up-riȝt. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 5868 Þis holi man sat vpriȝt, & ysei is deþes wounde. 1340 Ayenb. 56 Huanne þe glotoun geþ in to þe tauerne ha geþ opriȝt. 1388 Wyclif Acts. xiv. 9 Rise thou vp riȝt on thi feet. c 1400 Anturs of Arthur l, The king stode vp righte And commaunded pes. 14.. Sir Beues (M.) 4184 Sir Beues was wery..That vnnethe he myght sitt vp-right. 1535 Coverdale Lev. xxvi. 13, I haue broken the cepter of youre yocke, and caused you to go vp right. 1582 N. Lichefield tr. Castanheda's Conq. E. Ind. i. xxxii. 79 b, Many Noble men..all standing upright uppon theyr feete. 1607 Merry Devil Edmonton Induct. 3 My stiffned haire stands vpright on my head. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 121 Upright he walks, on Pasterns firm and straight. 1703 [R. Neve] City & C. Purchaser 278 A Man likewise standing firmest when he stands uprightest. 1782 F. Burney Cecilia x. x, Supported by pillows, she sat almost upright. 1821 Lamb Elia Ser. i. My Relations, He..has a spirit, that would stand upright in the presence of the Cham of Tartary. 1847 Mrs. Carlyle Lett. (1883) I. 391, I..can hardly sit upright. 1892 Photogr. Ann. II. 419 The films are thick enough to place in racks to wash, or to stand upright to dry. |
b. With other verbs (or ellipt.).
| a 1300 Cursor M. 3804 Þe stan his heued lai on þat night, In takning, he it sett vp right. c 1391 Chaucer Astrol. ii. §28 Thise signes arisen more vpriht, & they ben called eke souereyn signes. a 1400 Northern Passion 143/158 Sodanly þir launces thre..With outt mannys helpe war raysed vppe ryght. c 1450 Lovelich Merlin 2698 Bothe dragowns..thanne tornen..hem bothe with gret myht, and meveth al the erthe evene vpryht. 1496 Cov. Leet Bk. 575 Maister Meire, hold vp-right your swerde. 1523 Fitzherb. Husb. §24 His forkes and rakes..wolde be..beyked, and sette euen, to lye vpryght in thy hande. 1622 J. Taylor (Water P.) Farew. to Tower-bottles A 2 b, 'Twas my chance in Bacchus spight, To come into the Tower vnfox'd vpright. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 221 Forthwith upright he rears from off the Pool His mighty stature. 1700 Dryden Theodore & Honoria 146 Stood Theodore..With chatt'ring Teeth, and bristling Hair upright. 1747 Wesley Prim. Physick (1755) 30 The Apoplexy... Rub the Head,.. and let two strong Men carry the Patient upright. 1807 Wordsw. White Doe i. 245 A vault where the bodies are buried upright. 1900 L. B. Walford One of Ourselves xiv, A tall figure reared itself upright at her approach. |
c. In figurative uses.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 266 Herdi bileaue makeð ou stonden up⁓riht. c 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 1298 Þe mare..þat we wax upright In welthe, and in worldly myght. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 8 [They] With good consail on alle sides Be kept upriht in such a wyse, That hate [etc.] 1399 ― Praise of Peace 6 The worschipe of this lond, which was doun falle, Now stant upriht. c 1412 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 537 O engelond! stande vp-ryght on thy feet! c 1421 26 Pol. Poems xxi. 147 Of erþe ȝe ben cleped ‘salt’..; Go vp-riȝt and be not halt. 1551 Crowley Pleas. & Pain 590 Al men should walk in their callynge vpryght. 1570–6 Lambarde Peramb. Kent 105 While the honour of the Britons stood vpright. 1609 Holland Amm. Marcell. xv. v. 38 Most wished it were to be, that our fortune alwaies continued upright. 1644 Milton Divorce (ed. 2) ii. iii. 40 The justice of God stood upright ev'n among heathen disputers. 1670 Cotton Espernon iii. xii. 601 Yet did he ever keep himself upright from manifesting his sorrow. 1822 Lamb Elia Ser. i. Dream Children, Pain..could never bend her good spirits, or make them stoop, but they were still upright. 1900 Westm. Gaz. 14 June 2/1 To ‘keep the country upright’ should be..the first aim of the British Government. |
† d. Cant. (See quot.) Obs.
| a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew s.v., Go Upright, said by Taylers and Shoemakers, to their Servants, when any Money is given,..and signifies, bring it all out in Drink, tho' the Donor intended less. |
† 2. Lying or so as to lie at full length, flat or recumbent, on the back and with the face upwards; supine. Usu. with lie vb. Obs.
| a 1100 in Napier O.E. Glosses 58/1 Supinus, upriht, astreht. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 8635 He pulte him mid is vot & adoun vpriȝt him caste. c 1300 Beket 93 This maide ful upriȝt iswoȝe tho heo him iseȝ. 13.. St. Cristofer 651 in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1881) 462 In his chayere he welte vpryghte. c 1386 Chaucer Prioress' T. 159 Ther he with throte ykoruen lay vpright. c 1400 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483) iii. vi. 54 They leyen euen vpright gapyng. c 1450 Mirk's Festial i. 172 He saue eche tre full of bryddes lying vpryȝt dede. 1539 Elyot Cast. Helthe 48 Lienge vpright on the backe is to be vtterly abhorred. 1555 W. Watreman Fardle Facions i. vi. 88 Leaste he should giue vp the ghoste lieng vpright. 1620 Venner Via Recta (1650) 303 Sleeping upright upon the back be not healthfull. 1627 Drayton Nymphidia vii, And Mab..Bestrids young Folks that lye vpright. |
II. 3. a. Having the chief axis or distinctive part perpendicular to a surface; set or placed in a vertical position, posture, etc.; pointing or directed upwards; not inclined or leaning over (Cf. 1 b.)
| pred. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. v. viii. (Bodl. MS.), An erbe þat growiþ in hard londe is litel and vpright. 1563 Golding Cæsar (1565) 73 Theyr foredecks wer very streight vpright, and so were also theyr sternes. 1597 Gerarde Herball iii. 1226 Another kind of Myrtus..groweth vpright vnto the height of a man. 1611 Bible Jer. x. 5 They [sc. idols] are vpright as the palme tree. 1666 Act 18 & 19 Chas. II, c. 8 §12 That all Lights..made into any of them [sc. cellars] be..made upright. 1719 De Foe Crusoe i. (Globe) 128 It cost me a Month to shape it..to something like the Bottom of a Boat, that it might swim upright. 1759 R. Brown Compl. Farmer 112 'Tis a grass that grows very upright. 1787 Best Angling 3 Such [fish] as swim with their backs upright, or at right angles to the horizon. |
| attrib. 1420 Searchers Verdicts in Surtees Misc. (1890) 16 William of Alne hafes a upperyghte gavell. 1517 in Archaeologia (1883) XLVII. 312 For makyng of an upright steyer of assheler. 1570 Billingsley Euclid xii. prop. 18. 382, I call that an vpright cone, whose axe is perpendicular to his base. 1640 Parkinson Theat. Bot. 755 This Violet groweth about a foote high or more, with hard upright stalkes. 1668 R. Steele Husbandm. Calling vii. (1672) 189 No creature upon earth hath an upright countenance as man hath. 1714 Young Force Relig. i. 290 When the winds..descend, The fair and upright stem is forc'd to bend. 1784 Cowper Task i. 355 The upright shafts of..[the] tall elms. 1855 Poultry Chron. II. 602 Formed of upright bars of stout wire. 1870 Lubbock Orig. Civiliz. vi. (1875) 294 The custom of marking boundaries by upright stones. |
| fig. 1600 Holland Livy 1359 During the upright and flourishing state of Rome. |
b. In specific names of plants, etc. (see quots.).
| 1597 Gerarde Herbal i. 24 Vpright Dogs grasse or Quich grasse. Ibid ii. 705 The vpright Pancie. 1597 [see clamberer]. 1640 Parkinson Theat. Bot. 755 Viola surrecta purpurea, Vpright Violets. Ibid. 1462 Vpright Woodbinde or Hony suckle. 1731 Miller Gard. Dict. s.v. Malva, China Upright Mallow, with small white Flowers. 1760 J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 319 Upright Fir Moss, Lycopodium. 1822 Hortus Anglicus II. 92 S. Recta. Upright Stachys. 1830 Baxter's Libr. Agric. Knowl. 256 Nardus stricta, Upright mat grass. Ibid., Agrostis stricta, Upright bent. 1855 Miss Pratt Flower. Pl. VI. 105 Upright Brome-grass. 1882 Garden 11 March 166/2 The upright Acacia (fastigiata), a tree quite as erect in growth as the Lombardy Poplar. |
c. spec. and techn. (See quots.)
upright pianoforte: see pianoforte.
| 1610 J. Guillim Heraldry iii. xxii. 167 Fishes are borne after a diuers manner, viz. Directly, Vpright, Imbowed [etc.]. 1611 Cotgr., La montée d'vn bastiment, th'vpper part of a building; or, a representation, or modell thereof, called the vpright plot of a building. 1638 S. Foster Art of Dialling 12 Of upright declining Plaines. Those Plaines are upright, which point up directly into the Zenith. 1704 J. Harris Lex. Techn. I. s.v., Upright South Dyals. See Prime Verticles. [Prime Verticals, or Direct Erect North or South Dyals, are those whose Planes lie parallel to the Prime Vertical Circle.] 1727 Bailey (vol. II), Upright (with Heralds) is a Term used of Shell-fishes, when they stand so in a Coat of Arms. 1795 Stodart in Abridgm. Specif. Patents, Mus. (1871) 29 An upright grand piano in the form of a bookcase. 1802 Loud Ibid. 44 Improvements in the construction and action of upright pianofortes. 1875 Knight Dict. Mech. 2684/1 Upright,..a term..applied to a boiler whose hight is greater than its width. Ibid., Upright,..a term applied to a molding-machine whose mandrel is perpendicular. 1884 Ibid. Suppl. 915/1 Upright drill, a term applied to a drill whose mandril is vertical. Ibid., Upright molding machine. 1887 Golfing 96 A club is said to be ‘upright’ when its head is not at a very obtuse angle to the shaft. 1888 Jacobi Printers' Vocab. 150 Upright flues, the main flue or shaft which carries the smoke from the furnace beyond the housetop. 1896 A. J. Hipkins Pianoforte 122 Upright Grand Piano, accurately a grand piano placed vertically upon a stand;..applied in the present day to the better kinds of the cottage piano. 1898 Stainer & Barrett Dict. Mus. Terms 359/2 The upright spinet and harpsichord. |
d. Marked by perpendicular position or attitude; characterized by vertical bearing; erect.
An OE. instance occurs in ælfric's Hom. I. 276.
| 1634 Milton Comus 52 Circe..Whose charmed Cup Who⁓ever tasted, lost his upright shape. 1658 Phillips, Orthography,..in Architecture or Fortification,..is taken for the upright erection of any work. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) VI. 157 The anal fin..serves to keep the fish in its upright or vertical situation. 1791 Mrs. Radcliffe Rom. Forest ii, It being impossible to preserve it in an upright situation. 1871 W. H. G. Kingston R. Kiffin's Ward v, Although..more than seventy, he still walked with an upright carriage. 1877 Tennyson Harold iii. ii. 39, I have lost Somewhat of upright stature thro' mine oath. 1878 B. Taylor Deukalion i. ii. 22 His eyes that met the sun, his upright tread. |
4. a. Of persons: Erect in carriage. (Chiefly pred.)
| c 1386 Chaucer Miller's T. 78 She was..Long as a Mast and vprighte as a bolt. 1430–40 Lydg. Bochas iii. 4457 Folk in ther pouerte..Ben..lusti preuid at a neede, Vpriht of lymes ther iournes for to speede. 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. iv. iii. 89 O most diuine Kate,..As vpright as the Cedar. 1597 ― 2 Hen. IV, ii. ii. 91 Away, you horson vpright Rabbet. 1758 Johnson Idler No. 13 ¶11 When these [spinning] wheels are set upon a table.., they will..keep the girls upright. 1840 Dickens Barn. Rudge x, He was..past the prime of life, yet upright in his carriage. 1865 Kingsley Herew. iii, Hereward, bleeding, but still active and upright, broke away. 1905 ‘Guy Thorne’ Lost Cause i, Hibbert was an upright, soldierly-looking man. |
† b. Cant. Of vagrants: Big, strong, or sturdy. Applied spec. to one of the higher classes of vagabonds. Usu. upright-man. Obs.
| 1561 J. Awdelay Frat. Vacab. (1869) 4 An Vpright man is one that goeth wyth the trunchion of a staffe. 1567 Harman Caveat (1869) 31 A vpright man, the second in seote..of these rainginge rablement of rascales. 1608 Dekker Belman of London Wks. (Grosart) III. 92 This band of Vpright-men seldome march without fiue or six in a company. 1622 Fletcher Beggar's Bush ii. i, Come Princes of the ragged regiment,..Prig my most upright Lord. 1641 Brome Jov. Crew ii. G 1 You,..That never yet with man did Mell; Of whom no Upright man is taster. a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Dells,..young bucksome Wenches..[that] have not lost their Virginity, which the ‘vpright man’ pretends to, and seizes. [1815 Scott Guy M. xxviii, Johnny Faa, the upright man.] |
5. a. = perpendicular a. 1 b, right up a. 1.
| 1596 Danett tr. Comines (1614) 295 We mounted vp such a maruellous steepe and vpright hill. 1599 Dallam in Early Voy. Levant (Hakl. Soc.) 12 This mountayne is verrie upryghte on bothe sides. 1861 G. J. Whyte-Melville Good for Nothing iii, Another time do not ride so fast at an upright leap. |
† b. Perpendicular to a surface. Obs.—1
| 1678 Moxon Mech. Exerc. iv. 65 Exactly even and upright to the edges of the Board. |
c. Of a rectangular superficies: Having the height greater than the breadth.
| 1888 Jacobi Printers' Vocab., Upright, a page or job set or cut to an upright size—the reverse of oblong. 1892 Photogr. Ann. II. 523 The remaining portion..permits of upright or oblong pictures being taken. |
† 6. a. Of shoes: That may fit either foot; straight. (Opposed to ‘right’ and ‘left’.) Obs. rare.
| 1608 Day Hum. out of Br. ii. ii, A paire of vpright shooes, that gentlemen weare..now of one foote, then of another. 1621 Burton Anat. Mel. ii. ii. vi. i, He that weares an vpright shooe, may correct the obliquity. 1642 Fuller Holy & Prof. St. iv. v. 262 An upright shoe may fit both feet. |
† b. Straight in respect of grain. Obs.—1
| 1776 G. Semple Building in Water 115 The..Braces..ought to be made of sound hearty upright Oak. |
7. Taking place in a vertical direction; upward.
| 1650 Row Hist. Kirk (Wodrow Soc.) 431 Everie christian should be an hawk; his course should be upward and upright, or right up. 1837 P. Keith Bot. Lex. 248 An upright growth of six inches in the year. 1876 Stainer & Barrett Dict. Mus. Terms 352/2 The upright action was invented for the purpose of constructing pianofortes [etc.]. |
III. fig.
8. a. Of persons: Adhering to or following correct moral principles; of unbending integrity or rectitude; morally just, honest, or honourable.
| 1530 Palsgr. 328/2 Upright, indifferent bytwene party and party, and nat affectionate, indifferent,..juste. 1560 Bible 2 Chron. xxix. 34 The Leuites were more vpright in heart to sanctifie them selues, then the Priests. Ibid., Ps. xi. 2. 1605 Camden Rem. 7 That goodly, vpright, provident,..and reasonable creature. 1656 Earl of Monmouth tr. Boccalini's Advts. fr. Parnass. ii. xi. (1674) 149 The uprightest and most experienced Senator. 1700 Dryden Pref. Fables Wks. (Globe) 499, I have..been an upright judge betwixt the parties in competition. a 1720 Sewel Hist. Quakers (1795) I. ii. 142 They were found upright in their dealing. 1742 Pope Dunc. iv. 208 So upright Quakers please both Man and God. 1828 Lytton Pelham III. xiv, I have always thought him the most upright and honourable of men. 1856 Froude Hist. Eng. (1858) I. ii. 173 [He] bore through England the reputation of an upright and virtuous king. 1904 Verney Mem. II. 296 She had been upright in her life. |
| absol. 1560 Bible Prov. xxviii. 10 The vpright shal inherit good things. ― Ps. vii. 10 God..preserueth the vpright in heart. 1786 Paraphrases Ch. Scotland xxi. 1 Th' upright in heart alone have hope. |
b. Of the mind, qualities, actions, etc.: Marked or characterized by integrity or probity; having conformity or accordance with moral rectitude.
| 1538 Starkey England i. ii. 43 Settyng themselfe in relygyouse housys, ther quyetly to serue God and kepe theyr myndys vpryght. 1549 Coverdale, etc. Erasm. Par. 1 Cor. 53 That we both may..haue therwith an vpryght harte to God. 1560 Bible Ps. xxxvii. 14 To slay suche as be of vpright conuersation. 1579 W. Wilkinson Confut. Fam. Love B ij, That we might serve..God..with an vpright righteousnes and holynes. 1623 Extr. Aberd. Reg. (1848) II. 388 They sall giwe wnto thame thair trew and upricht counsall whan the same salbe askit. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 18 Thou, O Spirit, that dost prefer..th' upright heart and pure. 1700 T. Brown Amusem. Ser. & Com. 31 Have you any Use in your Country for Upright Honesty? a 1721 Prior Vicar of Bray & More Wks. 1907 II. 259 An upright and unprejudiced Conscience. 1781 Cowper Conversat. 682 Those hearts should be reclaim'd, renew'd, upright. 1782 F. Burney Cecilia viii. vi, Now I see the fair promise of his upright youth. 1818 Cruise Digest (ed. 2) II. 458 Fair or upright dealing. 1844 H. H. Wilson Brit. India III. 473 The diligent and upright discharge of the duties. 1904 Verney Mem. I. 415 His upright chivalrous conduct. |
| Comb. 1654 Allen in Thurloe St. Papers (1742) II. 214 The honour God hath put uppon him,..I mean that of upright-heartedness to the Lord. 1818 Scott Hrt. Midl. xliii, The best and most upright-minded men. 1836 [Mrs. Cheap] Going to Service xii. 140 An upright-minded girl. |
† 9. a. Sc. True; undoubted; rightful; = right a. 16. Obs.—1
| c 1480 Henryson Cock & Fox xi, Ȝe ar ȝour Fatheris Sone and air vpricht. |
† b. In good condition; in proper order; correct. Obs.
| 1526 Skelton Magnif. 651 Fansy and I, we twayne,..counterfeted our names we haue, Craftely all thynges vpryght to saue. 1557 Tusser Husb. (1878) 232 Good husbandes that laye, to saue all things vpright: for Tumbrels and cartes, haue a shed redy dight. 1630 Sherley in Bradford Plymouth Plantation (1856) 270 If it should please God y⊇ one should faile.., yet y⊇ other would keepe both recconings, and things uprighte. |
† c. Plain; straightforward; unambiguous. Obs.
| 1587 Harrison Descr. Brit. i. i. in Holinshed I. 2/1 My purpose is to..deliuer such things as I intreat of in distinct and vpright order. 1607 Dekker Knt.'s Conjur. (1842) 56 He had bin in vpright tearmes an vsurer. |
10. a. Stable, equable. b. dial. Sound in respect of health.
| 1551 Robinson tr. More's Utopia ii. M iij b, The quiete and vpright state of the bodye. 1905 Eng. Dial. Dict. VI. 327/2 My horse is quite upright. |
B. n.
† 1. a. A vertical front, face, or plane. Obs.
| 1563 Shute Archit. C iv b, This is the foundacion through the whiche we knowe and finde all the measures and vprightes belonging to the pillor. 1663 Gerbier Counsel 12 Shun too much carved Ornaments on that upright. Ibid. 15 Contracting the Balconies within the upright of a Column. 1679 Moxon Mech. Exerc. viii. 141 You design the Balcony to project beyond the Upright of the Front. 1703 [R. Neve] City & C. Purchaser 11 The springing of the Arch is skew'd back from the upright of the Jambs. 1726 Leoni Alberti's Archit. I. 55 The vacuities..left between the back of the sweep of the Arch, and the upright of the Wall it is turn'd from,..shou'd be fill'd up. |
† b. = elevation 11, orthography 2 b. Obs.
| 1603 B. Jonson K. Jas.'s Entertain. ¶1 The scene presented it selfe in a square and flat vpright like to the side of a citty. 1620–50 I. Jones Stone-Heng (1655) 56 The groundplot, with the uprights, and profyle of the whole work. Ibid. 61 The upright of the work, as when entire. 1712 J. James tr. Le Blond's Gardening 216 You may judge by the Upright, of the handsome Effect this Cascade would make. 1782 H. Walpole Vertue's Anecd. Paint. (ed. 3) I. Suppl. T. 1, There are not many uprights, but several ground plans of some of the palaces. 1842 Gwilt Archit. Gloss. 1049 Upright..; a term rarely used. |
† c. A very steep declivity. Cf. perpendicular n. 2. Obs.—1
| 1712 Henley tr. Montfaucon's Antiq. Italy vii. 108 The Lake runs..thro' the Mountain, till it comes to an upright, where there is a mighty Fall. |
2. a. An upright or vertical position; the perpendicular.
| 1683 Moxon Mech. Exerc., Printing xix. 297 So that the Tympan may stand..towards an upright. 1851 Laxton Builder's Price Bk. 133 Plasterer's Work... Dubbing out..not to be allowed unless the work is out of an upright. 1883 in Elworthy W. Somerset Word-bk. (1888) 791 Thick there wall's a little bit out of an upright. 1905 Times 30 Sept. 8/1 The mullion was much out of upright, and had..an iron stay. |
b. That which lies immediately above a thing.
| 1768 Blackstone Comm. III. 217 Every man may do what he pleases upon the upright or perpendicular of his own soil. |
3. a. Something set or standing upright, erect, or vertical; a perpendicular stone, post, part, etc.
In frequent use from c 1790.
| 1742 De Foe's Tour Gt. Brit. (ed. 3) I. 259 By which means the Uprights [of Stonehenge] are less liable to fall or swerve. 1776 G. Semple Building in Water 131 The upright of c. has a square Hole in the upper End of it. 1786 Abercrombie Gard. Assist. 54 Uprights or growing stakes. 1794 Rigging & Seamanship 140 Vessels in harbour..have uprights [for awnings]. 1794 Burns Caledonia 46 Rectangle⁓triangle the figure we'll choose, The upright is Chance, and old Time is the base. 1845 J. Saunders Cabinet Pict. Eng. Life 19 A beam laid cross-wise upon two uprights. 1854 Ainsworth Flitch of Bacon iv. iii, A magnificent staircase of many turnings... The uprights on each landing were decorated with rampant nondescripts. 1883 R. Broughton Belinda iii. iii, One of the spiked iron uprights of the gate. 1886 Furnivall in Shakes. Ven. & Ad. (1st Qo. facsimile) p. xix, ‘Hooke-nosoe’, should be ‘hook-nosde’; the upright of the d unluckily failed to print. |
b. spec. One of the vertical members of a framing, etc.
| a 1700 Evelyn Diary 27 Aug. 1666, We plumb'd the uprights in several places. 1791 Smeaton Edystone L. §34 The outside timbers (since called the uprights) were seventy⁓two in number). 1807 Pike Sources Mississ. i. (1810) App. 46 Part of the houses are framed, and..there are small logs let into mortises made in the uprights. 1851 Ruskin Stones Ven. (1874) I. i. 18 Timbers attached to uprights on the top of the nave pillars. 1870 Morris Earthly Par. III. iv. 61 The greasy blackened wood Of the hall's uprights. |
(b) spec. in Football, a goalpost (as opp. to the crossbar).
| 1910 Glasgow Herald 14 Feb. 12/6 Barr..had little difficulty in placing the ball between the uprights. 1927 W. E. Collinson Contemp. Eng. 24 There were all the ‘Kennings’ in the sporting columns... Sphere for football, the uprights or sticks for the goalposts. 1951 Sport 27 Apr.–3 May 4/1 Bill rapped the upright with a penalty-kick. 1954 J. B. G. Thomas On Tour 72 Morkel hit an upright with his conversion attempt. 1977 Irish Press 29 Sept. 18/2 Mick Lawlor's 24th minute left-footed drive..hit the bottom part of the upright and rebounded into play. |
c. (See quots.)
| 1856 ‘Stonehenge’ Brit. Rur. Sports i. x. 82/2 The Spire [has] a brow antler, and half-developed beam, called uprights; a Staggart, brow, tray, and uprights. 1878 in Elworthy W. Somerset Word-bk. 792 A male deer of one year old has..one straight horn each side only, which we term his upright. |
d. An upright pianoforte (see pianoforte).
| 1860 Builder 15 Sept. 588/1 The best grands and uprights of the present day. 1894 S. Fiske Holiday Stories (1900) 118 The baby grands nestled between the larger instruments. The uprights looked..out of place. |
e. A kind of fly-hook.
| 1878 W. Nash Oregon vi. 135 The lawyer put on a ‘black palmer’ and a ‘blue upright’. 1892 Daily News 14 April 3/1 The comparatively large uprights and browns are as fatal as ever to the smallest trout. |
f. Basketry. A plane used for shaving skeins to a required width.
| 1842 Encycl. Brit. IV. 429/1 In order to bring the split into a shape still more regular, it is passed through another implement called an upright, consisting of a flat piece of steel, each end of which is fashioned into a cutting edge. 1907 Jrnl. Soc. Arts 11 Jan. 190/1 For finer work the rod is split into three or more skeins by a cleaver; the splits are then successively drawn through a shave to remove the central pith and through an upright to render them uniform in width. 1929 A. G. Knock Fine Willow Basketry 37 For most skein work the skeins can be used after being shaved, but for..extra fine skein work of other kinds they are made uniform in width and as narrow as required by being drawn through the upright. 1961 L. G. Allbon Basic Basketry iii. 18 Two specialized planes complete the process. The shave skims away the pith and renders the skein of even thickness; the upright straightens up the sides of the skein to an even width. 1981 T. W. Bagshawe Basket Making in Bedfordshire 16 (caption) Uprights for shaving to uniform width. |
g. In a crossword puzzle, one of the clues whose solution is to be entered vertically in the frame.
| 1917 M. T. Hainsselin Grand Fleet Days xv. 96 How far have you got? Only as far as the ‘uprights’—Belgium and Berlin. 1967 Sci. Amer. Sept. 268/2 The first stanza gives clues for two words, called the uprights, that are spelled vertically by the initial and final letters of the words to which clues are given by the numbered stanzas. |
4. An upright stratum; = arrect n.
| 1811 Pinkerton Petral. II. 158 A mountain of a most regular structure; the arrects, or uprights, having their planes parallel to its great axis. |
5. slang. (See quot.)
| 1796 Sporting Mag. VIII. 107 [They] drank 57 quarts of upright, viz. a quart of beer with a quartern of gin in it. |
▪ II. ˈupright, adv.
[f. prec. Cf. OE. uprihte.]
1. = uprightly adv. 1.
| 1509 Hawes Conv. Swearers ix, I sende you gretynge..& grace Right wel to gouern vpright your dominion. 1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. i. (1586) 2 All seeke to lyue, but none to liue upryght. 1591 in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. I. 76 That thay may leif togidder in luif, upricht to God. 1624 J. Davies Ps. xiv, Not one doth good, not one doth well, vpright. |
† b. In a just manner; correctly. Obs.—1
| 1601 Holland Pliny II. 585 In truth, if we will consider this pageant upright, we must needs confesse [etc.]. |
2. In a vertical direction; vertically upwards.
| 1590 Webbe Trav. (Arb.) 22 Ye wonderfull..swelling of the water vpright..to ye height of a huge mountaine. 1591 J. Dee Diary (Camden) 38 Wownded on his hed by his own wanton throwing of a brik-bat upright, and not well avoyding the fall of it. 1605 Shakes. Lear iv. vi. 27 For all beneath the Moone would I not leape vpright. 1664 Butler Hud. ii. iii. 437 That Cannon-Ball,..shot in th' Air point-blank, upright. 1715 Desaguliers Fires Impr. 12 As for the Rays that go upright, nothing can hinder them from getting out at top of the Chimney. 1736 Gray Statius i. 45 Nor tempts he yet the plain, but hurl'd upright, Emits the mass. |
| Comb. 1842 Loudon Suburban Hort. 352 In the case of upright-grown plants. Ibid. 549 The pear is grafted or budded on stocks raised..from any strong upright-growing kind. |
3. dial. Independently; on one's own means.
| 1823 E. Moor Suffolk Words 460 A live upright on 'a's forten. 1896 Westm. Gaz. 28 April 2/1, I shall be able to retire and ‘live upright’, as the butler said. |
▪ III. ˈupright, v.
Also 5 Sc. vp-, wpricht.
[f. as prec. Cf. MDu. uprichten (Du. oprigten), Flem. (Kilian) oprechten, OHG. (MHG.) ûfrihten (G. aufrichten).]
1. trans. To raise to an upright or vertical position; to erect. Also fig. and in fig. context.
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter cxii. 6 He vprightis þe pore out of þe fen of fleyssly lust. Ibid. cxlv. 7 Lord vprightys þe smytyn down. 1590 Sir J. Smyth Disc. Weapons 30 They all vpright their piques. 1591 ― Instruct. (1595) 22 Then are they to saie to the first ranke Vpright your piques. 1609 Daniel Civ. Wars vii. lxxii, It rests within your iudgements, to vp-right..the Land. 1890 Standard 5 April 6/3, I..assisted to upright the boat, which was baled out. 1893 Westm. Gaz. 16 Sept. 4/1 As soon as he had uprighted his machine [= bicycle]. |
† 2. Sc. To make reparation to or for; to compensate. Obs.
| 1463 Extr. Aberd. Reg. (1844) I. 26 The forsaide Thomas til sek til his warande gif he hafe ony til vpricht him. 1480 Ibid. 411 That the saids persons acht til wpricht and assith him for hir. 1492 Ibid. 420 To amende and vpricht the skaitht done. |