a·bove (?-b?v?)adv.1. On high; overhead: the clouds above.2. In heaven; heavenward.3. a. Upstairs: a table in the dining room above.b. To a degree that is over zero: 15° above.4. In or to a higher place.5. In an earlier part of a given text: “Unlike the species discussed above, bees, ants, and wasps don’t make males and females using combinations of special sex chromosomes” (Marlene Zuk).6. In or to a higher rank or position: the ranks of major and above.prep.1. Over or higher than: a cool spring above the timberline.2. Superior to in rank, position, or number; greater than: put principles above expediency.3. Beyond the level or reach of: a shot that was heard above the music.4. In preference to: chose quality above quantity.5. Too honorable or proud to undertake: I am not above trying to bribe you. Do you think you are above bagging your own groceries?6. More than: somewhat above normal temperature.7. Upstream of: a dam positioned ten miles above the town.8. North of: Minnesota is above Iowa.n.1. An earlier part of a given text: Refer to the above for that information.2. The person or persons already referred to in a text: The above hereby affix their signatures.adj. Appearing earlier in the same text: flaws in the above interpretation.Idiom: above all Over and above all other factors or considerations: Above all, tell the truth.[Middle English aboven, from Old English ab?fan : a-, on; see a-2 + b?fan, above; see upo in Indo-European roots.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.above (??b?v) prep1. on top of or higher than; over: the sky above the earth. 2. greater than in quantity or degree: above average in weight. 3. superior to or prior to: to place honour above wealth. 4. too honourable or high-minded for: above petty gossiping. 5. too respected for; beyond: above suspicion; above reproach. 6. too difficult to be understood by: the talk was above me. 7. louder or higher than (other noise): I heard her call above the radio. 8. in preference to: I love you above all others. 9. north of: which town lies just above London?. 10. upstream from11. above all most of all; especially12. above and beyond in addition to13. above oneself presumptuous or conceitedadv14. in or to a higher place: the sky above. 15. a. in a previous place (in something written)b. (in combination): the above-mentioned clause. 16. higher in rank or position17. in or concerned with heaven: seek the things that are above. nthe above something that is above or previously mentionedadjmentioned or appearing in a previous place (in something written)[Old English abufan, from a- on + bufan above]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014a?bove (??b?v) adv. 1. in, at, or to a higher place. 2. overhead or in the sky: A flock of birds circled above. 3. upstairs: the apartment above. 4. higher in rank, authority, or power: the officer above. 5. higher in quantity or number: books with 100 pages and above. 6. before or earlier, esp. in a book or other piece of writing: the remark quoted above. Compare below (def. 6). 7. in or to heaven: gone to her eternal rest above. 8. higher than zero on the temperature scale. 9. Zool. on the upper or dorsal side. 10. upstage. Compare below (def. 9). prep. 11. in or to a higher place than; over: to fly above the clouds. 12. more in quantity or number than; in excess of: all children above 6 years of age. 13. superior in rank, authority, or standing to. 14. not subject or liable to: to be above suspicion. 15. of too fine a character for: above such trickery. 16. rather than; in preference to: to favor one child above the other. 17. beyond, esp. north of: six miles above Baltimore. 18. upstage of. adj. 19. said, mentioned, or written above; foregoing: the above explanation. n. 20. something that was said, mentioned, or written above. 21. the person or persons previously indicated: The above will stand trial. 22. heaven: a gift from above. 23. a higher authority: an order from above. Idioms: above all, most importantly; principally. [before 900; Middle English above(n), Old English abufan, onbufan (a-, on- a-1 + bufan above =b(e) by1 + ufan, c. Old Frisian uva, Old Saxon, Old High German oban(a), Old Norse ofan above; akin to over); compare up] usage: A few critics object to the use of above as an adjective (the above data) or as a noun (study the above) in referring to what has been mentioned earlier in a piece of writing. Both uses, however, have long been standard. Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.above – Traces back to Old English bove, first meaning “north” and later taking the meaning of “overhead.”See also related terms for north.Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.above – over1. used for talking about position and heightIf something is higher than something else, you can say that the first thing is above or over the second thing.If one thing is much higher than another thing, or there is a lot of space between them, you usually use above.You usually use over when one thing is at a higher level than another thing, and the first thing is moving.Above and over are both used to talk about measurements, for example, when you are talking about a point that is higher than another point on a scale.Be Careful!Don’t use above in front of a number when you are talking about a quantity or number of things or people. For example, don’t say ‘She had above thirty pairs of shoes’. You say ‘She had over thirty pairs of shoes’ or ‘She had more than thirty pairs of shoes’.You use over to say that a distance or period of time is longer than the one mentioned.