Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Up \Up\, adv. [AS. up, upp, ?p; akin to OFries. up, op, D. op,
   OS. ?p, OHG. ?f, G. auf, Icel. ? Sw. upp, Dan. op, Goth. iup,
   and probably to E. over. See {Over}.]
   1. Aloft; on high; in a direction contrary to that of
      gravity; toward or in a higher place or position; above;
      -- the opposite of {down}.

            But up or down, By center or eccentric, hard to
            tell.                                 --Milton.

   2. Hence, in many derived uses, specifically:
      (a) From a lower to a higher position, literally or
          figuratively; as, from a recumbent or sitting
          position; from the mouth, toward the source, of a
          river; from a dependent or inferior condition; from
          concealment; from younger age; from a quiet state, or
          the like; -- used with verbs of motion expressed or
          implied.

                But they presumed to go up unto the hilltop.
                                                  --Num. xiv.
                                                  44.

                I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth
                up.                               --Ps.
                                                  lxxxviii. 15.

                Up rose the sun, and up rose Emelye. --Chaucer.

                We have wrought ourselves up into this degree of
                Christian indifference.           --Atterbury.
      (b) In a higher place or position, literally or
          figuratively; in the state of having arisen; in an
          upright, or nearly upright, position; standing;
          mounted on a horse; in a condition of elevation,
          prominence, advance, proficiency, excitement,
          insurrection, or the like; -- used with verbs of rest,
          situation, condition, and the like; as, to be up on a
          hill; the lid of the box was up; prices are up.

                And when the sun was up, they were scorched.
                                                  --Matt. xiii.
                                                  6.

                Those that were up themselves kept others low.
                                                  --Spenser.

                Helen was up -- was she?          --Shak.

                Rebels there are up, And put the Englishmen unto
                the sword.                        --Shak.

                His name was up through all the adjoining
                provinces, even to Italy and Rome; many desiring
                to see who he was that could withstand so many
                years the Roman puissance.        --Milton.

                Thou hast fired me; my soul's up in arms.
                                                  --Dryden.

                Grief and passion are like floods raised in
                little brooks by a sudden rain; they are quickly
                up.                               --Dryden.

                A general whisper ran among the country people,
                that Sir Roger was up.            --Addison.

                Let us, then, be up and doing, With a heart for
                any fate.                         --Longfellow.
      (c) To or in a position of equal advance or equality; not
          short of, back of, less advanced than, away from, or
          the like; -- usually followed by to or with; as, to be
          up to the chin in water; to come up with one's
          companions; to come up with the enemy; to live up to
          engagements.

                As a boar was whetting his teeth, up comes a fox
                to him.                           --L'Estrange.
      (d) To or in a state of completion; completely; wholly;
          quite; as, in the phrases to eat up; to drink up; to
          burn up; to sum up; etc.; to shut up the eyes or the
          mouth; to sew up a rent.

   Note: Some phrases of this kind are now obsolete; as, to
         spend up (--Prov. xxi. 20); to kill up (--B. Jonson).
      (e) Aside, so as not to be in use; as, to lay up riches;
          put up your weapons.

   Note: Up is used elliptically for get up, rouse up, etc.,
         expressing a command or exhortation. ``Up, and let us
         be going.'' --Judg. xix. 28.

               Up, up, my friend! and quit your books, Or surely
               you 'll grow double.               --Wordsworth.

   {It is all up with him}, it is all over with him; he is lost.
      

   {The time is up}, the allotted time is past.

   {To be up in}, to be informed about; to be versed in.
      ``Anxious that their sons should be well up in the
      superstitions of two thousand years ago.'' --H. Spencer.

   {To be up to}.
      (a) To be equal to, or prepared for; as, he is up to the
          business, or the emergency. [Colloq.]
      (b) To be engaged in; to purpose, with the idea of doing
          ill or mischief; as, I don't know what he's up to.
          [Colloq.]

   {To blow up}.
      (a) To inflate; to distend.
      (b) To destroy by an explosion from beneath.
      (c) To explode; as, the boiler blew up.
      (d) To reprove angrily; to scold. [Slang]

   {To bring up}. See under {Bring}, v. t.

   {To come up with}. See under {Come}, v. i.

   {To cut up}. See under {Cut}, v. t. & i.

   {To draw up}. See under {Draw}, v. t.

   {To grow up}, to grow to maturity.

   {Up anchor} (Naut.), the order to man the windlass
      preparatory to hauling up the anchor.

   {Up and down}.
      (a) First up, and then down; from one state or position to
          another. See under {Down}, adv.

                Fortune . . . led him up and down. --Chaucer.
      (b) (Naut.) Vertical; perpendicular; -- said of the cable
          when the anchor is under, or nearly under, the hawse
          hole, and the cable is taut. --Totten.

   {Up helm} (Naut.), the order given to move the tiller toward
      the upper, or windward, side of a vessel.

   {Up to snuff}. See under {Snuff}. [Slang]

   {What is up?} What is going on? [Slang]

Up \Up\, n.
   The state of being up or above; a state of elevation,
   prosperity, or the like; -- rarely occurring except in the
   phrase ups and downs. [Colloq.]

   {Ups and downs}, alternate states of elevation and
      depression, or of prosperity and the contrary. [Colloq.]

            They had their ups and downs of fortune.
                                                  --Thackeray.

Up \Up\, a.
   Inclining up; tending or going up; upward; as, an up look; an
   up grade; the up train.

Up \Up\, prep.
   1. From a lower to a higher place on, upon, or along; at a
      higher situation upon; at the top of.

            In going up a hill, the knees will be most weary; in
            going down, the thihgs.               --Bacon.

   2. From the coast towards the interior of, as a country; from
      the mouth towards the source of, as a stream; as, to
      journey up the country; to sail up the Hudson.

   3. Upon. [Obs.] ``Up pain of death.'' --Chaucer.

Source : WordNet®

up
     adj 1: being or moving higher in position or greater in some value;
            being above a former position or level; "the anchor is
            up"; "the sun is up"; "he lay face up"; "he is up by a
            pawn"; "the market is up"; "the corn is up" [ant: {down}]
     2: getting higher or more vigorous; "its an up market"; "an
        improving economy" [syn: {improving}]
     3: extending or moving toward a higher place; "the up
        staircase"; "a general upward movement of fish" [syn: {up(a)},
         {upward(a)}]
     4: (usually followed by `on' or `for') in readiness; "he was up
        on his homework"; "had to be up for the game" [syn: {up(p)}]
     5: open; "the windows are up"
     6: (used of computers) operating properly; "how soon will the
        computers be up?" [syn: {up(p)}]
     7: used up; "time is up" [syn: {up(p)}]
     8: out of bed; "are they astir yet?"; "up by seven each
        morning" [syn: {astir(p)}, {up(p)}]
     [also: {upping}, {upped}]

up
     adv 1: spatially or metaphorically from a lower to a higher
            position; "look up!"; "the music surged up"; "the
            fragments flew upwards"; "prices soared upwards";
            "upwardly mobile" [syn: {upwards}, {upward}, {upwardly}]
            [ant: {down}, {down}, {down}, {down}]
     2: to a higher intensity; "he turned up the volume" [ant: {down}]
     3: nearer to the speaker; "he walked up and grabbed my lapels"
     4: to a more central or a more northerly place; "was
        transferred up to headquarters"; "up to Canada for a
        vacation" [ant: {down}]
     5: to a later time; "they moved the meeting date up"; "from
        childhood upward" [syn: {upwards}, {upward}]
     [also: {upping}, {upped}]

up
     v : raise; "up the ante"
     [also: {upping}, {upped}]

Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

up
     
         Working, in order.  E.g. "The down escalator is up."
     
        Opposite: {down}.
     
        [{Jargon File}]
     
        (1995-03-06)