1517
urban myth
up·root /ˌʌpˈruːt/ v [T] 1 to tear (a plant with its roots) out
of the earth 2 to remove from one's home, habitual sur-
roundings etc: To take the new job she had to uproot her
whole family and settle abroad.
UPS /ˌjuː piː ˈes/ trademark abbrev. for United Parcel Service; a US
company that delivers boxes and packed goods: I think I'll
ship it UPS. | Will UPS take a box that big?
ups-a-dai-sy /ˌʌps ə ˌdeɪzi/ interj OOPS-A-DAISY
,ups and 'downs n [P] infml good and bad periods following
one another in turn: Life is full of ups and downs.
up·scale /ˌʌpˈskeɪl/ adj, adv AmE for UP-MARKET
up·set¹ /ʌpˈset/ v -set, present participle -setting [T] 1 to cause
to fall over, turn over, or overflow, usually accidentally,
causing damage, loss etc: He upset the cup and the coffee went
all over the floor. 2 to put (something) out of its settled state
or order, causing confusion: Our plans were upset by the
sudden change in the weather. | If they develop these new
weapons, it will upset the balance of power. 3 to cause to
worry, be sad, be angry, not be calm etc; DISTRESS: Do what he
wants, or you'll upset him. | This is very upsetting news. 4 to
make ill, usually in the stomach: Eating fish sometimes
upsets me/my stomach. ➔ see also upset the apple cart
(APPLE CART)
up·set² /ˈʌpset/ n 1 [C;U] an act of upsetting or state of
being upset: a complete upset of our plans 2 [C] an unex-
pected result: It was a major upset when our local team beat
the big league side. 3 a slight illness, usually of the stomach:
a stomach upset
up·set³ /ʌpˈset/ adj 1 [F] unhappy and worried because
something unpleasant or disappointing has happened: She
was really upset about the way her father treated her. | She's
most upset (=sad and disappointed) that you can't come. 2 be
upset with sb if you are upset with someone, you are angry
and annoyed with them: You're not still upset with me, are
you? 3 upset stomach an illness that affects the stomach
and makes you feel sick
'upset price n AmE for RESERVE²
up·shot /ˈʌpʃɒt||ˈʌpʃɑːt/ n [(the)S[of]] the result in the end;
OUTCOME: What was the upshot of all that talk?
up·side /ˈʌpsaɪd/ adj (especially in business) showing an
expectation or likelihood of advantage or success ➔ oppo-
site DOWNSIDE —upside n [S]
,upside 'down adv 1 in a position with the top turned to
the bottom: You've got that picture upside down. 2 in disor-
der: The office is being decorated so everything's upside down.
➔ see also turn somewhere upside down (TURN)
up·stage¹ /ˌʌpˈsteɪdʒ/ adj, adv towards or at the back of a
theatrical stage: The actress moved upstage. ➔ opposite
DOWNSTAGE
up·stage² /ʌpˈsteɪdʒ/ v [T] to take attention away from
(someone else, especially someone more important) for
oneself: The star of the show was upstaged by a brilliant
young comedian.
up·stairs /ˌʌpˈsteəz||-ˈsteərz/ adv on or to the upper
floor(s) of a building: He ran upstairs. | My room is upstairs.
➔ compare DOWNSTAIRS; see also kick upstairs (KICK)
—upstairs adj [A] an upstairs lavatory —upstairs n [(the) S]
The upstairs of this house is all new.
Upstairs, 'Downstairs a British television programme of
the 1970s, about a rich family and their servants who live in
London in the early 1900s. It shows the two different worlds
of the UPPER-CLASS people who live 'upstairs' in the main
part of the house, and of their servants who live and work in
the lower part of the house. People in the UK sometimes use
this phrase when comparing the different lives of rich and
poor people: Some economists foresee a return to the Upstairs,
Downstairs society of Victorian times.
up·stand·ing /ˌʌpˈstændɪŋ/ adj fml, apprec 1 honest and
responsible: a sober upstanding citizen 2 (of a person) tall
and strong: a fine upstanding man
up·start /ˈʌpstɑːt||-ɑːrt/ n derog someone who has risen
suddenly or unexpectedly to a high position and takes
advantage of the power they have gained: She was beaten to
the top job by an upstart who joined the firm barely a year
ago.
up·state /ˌʌpˈsteɪt/ adj [A] AmE in the northern part of a
state, especially when most of the population lives in the
south: upstate New York —upstate adv
up·stream /ˌʌpˈstriːm/ adj, adv (moving) against the cur-
rent, towards the beginning of a river, stream, etc ➔ oppo-
site DOWNSTREAM
up·surge /ˈʌpsɜːdʒ||-ɜːr-/ n 1 [(in)] a sudden rise: the recent
upsurge in the number of people buying video record-
ers 2 [(of)] a sudden appearance of strong feeling: an upsurge
of joy
up·swing /ˈʌpˌswɪŋ/ n [(in)] an improvement or increase in
an amount or level: an upswing in the President's popularity
rating
up·take /ˈʌpteɪk/ n 1 [the+S] infml the ability to understand
especially something new: I tried to explain it to him, but he's
rather slow on the uptake. 2 [C;U[of]] especially tech the rate at
which something is accepted, taken in etc: the uptake of food
and oxygen into an organism
up·tight /ˈʌptaɪt, ʌpˈtaɪt/ adj slang tending to be angry and
unfriendly because worried, nervous etc
,up-to-'date adj 1 modern; based on or using the most
recent knowledge, ideas, inventions etc: This factory uses the
most up-to-date methods. 2 including or having all the latest
information: an up-to-date map | Bring me up-to-date on all
the latest news. (=tell me about it)
,up-to-the-'minute adj 1 very modern 2 including all the
latest information
up·town /ˌʌpˈtaʊn/ adj, adv AmE to, towards, or in the higher
or northern areas of a city or town; often where people live,
not the business centre: We went uptown. | uptown schools ➔
compare DOWNTOWN
up·turn /ˈʌptɜːn||-ɜːrn/ n [(in)] a favourable change, espe-
cially an increase: an upturn in business activity/in house
prices ➔ opposite DOWNTURN
up·turned /ˌʌpˈtɜːnd||-ɜːr-/ adj 1 turning upwards at the
end: an upturned nose 2 having been turned upside down:
The crowd set fire to an upturned car.
up·ward /ˈʌpwədl||-wərd/ adj [A] going up: an upward move-
ment of prices/of the hand ➔ opposite DOWNWARD
,upwardly-'mobile adj able or wishing to move into a
higher social class and become more wealthy
up·wards /ˈʌpwədz||-wərdz/ also upward AmE —
adv 1 towards a higher level, position, or price: He looked
upwards at the sky. | Costs are moving upwards. | She lay on
the bed, face upwards. (=with her face pointing upwards) ➔
opposite DOWNWARDS 2 upward(s) of infml more than: It
cost upwards of £50.
up·wind /ˌʌpˈwɪnd/ adj, adv in the direction from which the
wind is blowing
Ur /ɜːr/ also Ur of the Chal·dees /ˌɜːr əv ðə kælˈdiːz||
-koʊl-/ a city in ancient Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), which
existed from about 3500 BC to about the 6th century BC.
According to the Old Testament of the Bible, ABRAHAM was
born there. ➔ see also SUMER
U·rals, the /ˈjʊərəlz/ also the Ural 'Mountains a group
of mountains that stretch all the way down from the north
to the south of Russia, and are often considered to mark the
border between Europe and Asia
u·ra·ni·um /juˈreɪniəm/ n [U] a heavy white metal that is a
simple substance (ELEMENT), is RADIOACTIVE, and is used in
the production of NUCLEAR power and weapons
U·ra·nus /ˈjʊərənəs, juˈreɪnəs/ 1 the PLANET that is the
seventh in order from the Sun 2 in Greek MYTHOLOGY, the
god of heaven and the first ruler of the universe
ur·ban /ˈɜbən||ˈɜːr-/ adj [A] of a town or city: urban life |
urban areas
ur·bane /ɜːbeɪn||ːr-/ adj usually apprec having a smooth and
confident social manner —ly adv —banity
/ɜːˈbænɪti||ːr-/ n [U]
,urban guer'rilla n a terrorist who operates mainly in towns
and cities: a bomb attack carried out by urban guerrillas
,urban 'myth n an often-repeated story, usually taken to be
true, of an unusual and sometimes terrible event that
happens to an ordinary person