from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Upper \Up"per\, a.; comp. of {Up}.
Being further up, literally or figuratively; higher in place,
position, rank, dignity, or the like; superior; as, the upper
lip; the upper side of a thing; the upper house of a
legislature.
[1913 Webster]
{The upper hand}, the superiority; the advantage. See {To
have the upper hand}, under {Hand}. --Jowett (Thucyd.).
{Upper Bench} (Eng. Hist.), the name of the highest court of
common law (formerly King's Bench) during the
Commonwealth.
{Upper case}, the top one of a pair of compositor's cases.
See the Note under 1st {Case}, n., 3.
{Upper covert} (Zool.), one of the coverts situated above the
bases of the tail quills.
{Upper deck} (Naut.), the topmost deck of any vessel; the
spar deck.
{Upper leather}, the leather for the vamps and quarters of
shoes.
{Upper strake} (Naut.), the strake next to the deck, usually
of hard wood, and heavier than the other strakes.
{Upper ten thousand}, or (abbreviated) {Upper ten}, the ten
thousand, more or less, who are highest in position or
wealth; the upper class; the aristocracy. [Colloq.]
{Upper topsail} (Naut.), the upper half of a double topsail.
{Upper works} (Naut.), all those parts of the hull of a
vessel that are properly above water.
{Upper world}.
(a) The atmosphere.
(b) Heaven.
(c) This world; the earth; -- in distinction from the
{underworld}.
[1913 Webster]