Word for the day: high

high |hʌɪ|                                                                         *alto (en Español)

 
DEFINITION

adjective1 of great vertical extent: the top of a high mountain.• (after a measurement and in questions) measuring a specified distance from top to bottom: a tree forty feet high.• far above ground, sea level, or another point of reference: a palace high up on a hill.• extending above the normal level: a round face with a high forehead.• [ attrib. ] (of an area) inland and well above sea level: high prairies.• [ attrib. ] performed at, to, or from a considerable height: high diving.• (of latitude) close to 90°; near the North or South Pole.2 great, or greater than normal, in quantity, size, or intensity: a high temperature | sweets are very high incalories.• of large numerical or monetary value: they had been playing for high stakes.• very favourable: she had no very high opinion of men.• extreme in religious or political views: a man of high Tory opinions.• (of a period or movement) at its peak: high summer.3 great in rank, status, or importance: both held high office under Lloyd George | financial security is high on your list of priorities.• ranking above others of the same kind: the last High King of Ireland.• morally or culturally superior: blurring the distinctions between high art and popular art.4 (of a sound or note) having a frequency at the upper end of the auditory range: a high, squeaky voice.• (of a singer or instrument) producing notes of relatively high pitch.5 [ predic. ] informal feeling euphoric, especially from the effects of drugs or alcohol: she wasn't tipsy, just a little high | some of them were high on Ecstasy.6 [ predic. ] (especially of food) unpleasantly strong-smelling because beginning to go bad.• (of game) slightly decomposed and so ready to cook.7 Phonetics (of a vowel) produced with the tongue relatively near the palate.

noun1 a high point, level, or figure: commodity prices were at a rare high.• a high-frequency sound or musical note.• a high power setting: the vent blower was on high.• an area of high barometric pressure; an anticyclone.2 a notably happy or successful moment: the highs and lows of life.• [ usu. in sing. ] informal a state of high spirits or euphoria: if the stable is doing well then everybody's on a high.3 informal, chiefly N. Amer.high school: I go to junior high.4 top gear in a motor vehicle.
adverb1 at or to a considerable or specified height: the sculpture stood about five feet high | a dish piled high with baked beans.2 highly: he ranked high among the pioneers of chemical technology.• at a high price: buying shares low and selling them high.3 (of a sound) at or to a high pitch.
PHRASESace (or king or queen etc.) high (in card games) having the ace (or another specified card) as the highest-ranking.from on high from remote high authority or heaven: central government programmes coming down from on high.high and dry out of the water, especially stranded by the sea as it retreats. • without resources or help: your family would be left high and dry by the death of the breadwinner.high and low in many different places: I searched high and low for a new teacher.high and mighty informal behaving as though one is more important than others.the high ground a position of superiority (originally in military conflict): he wants the EC to take the moral high ground by agreeing to an environmental tax.a high old —— [ attrib. ] informal used for emphasis: a high old time of it we all had.high, wide, and handsome informal expansive and impressive.[from Arizona Nights by Stewart E. White (1873–1946), American author.]it is high time that —— it is past the time when something should have happened or been done: it was high time that she faced facts.on high in or to heaven or a high place: a spotter plane circling on high.on one's high horse informal behaving in an arrogant or pompous manner.run high (of a river) be close to overflowing, with a strong current. • (of feelings) be intense: passions run high when marriages break up.
ORIGIN Old English hēah, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hoog and German hoch .

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