uplift

English

WOTD – 9 October 2010

Etymology

up- +‎ lift

Pronunciation

• enPR: ŭplĭftʹ, IPA^(key): /ʌpˈlɪft/
• enPR: ŭpʹlĭft, IPA^(key): /ˈʌplɪft/

• Audio (Northern California, US)

  (file)

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Verb

uplift (third-person singular simple present uplifts, present participle uplifting, simple past and past participle uplifted)

1. To raise something or someone to a higher physical, social, moral, intellectual, spiritual or emotional level.
2. (aviation, travel) to be accepted for carriage on a flight.
3. (New Zealand) To remove (a child) from a damaging home environment by a social welfare organization.
   • 2019 May 9, “Taken by the state: Don't take my baby”, in Stuff:

     In an affidavit supporting an application for a court order to uplift the child, a social worker said there were ongoing family violence issues between the baby's mother and father.

Translations

to raise something or someone to a higher level

• Czech: povznést pf, povznášet impf
• Finnish: kohottaa (fi)
• French: élever (fr), transcender (fr), promouvoir (fr), exalter (fr)
• Greek: μεταρσιώνω (el) (metarsióno)
• Italian: elevare (it), esaltare (it)
• Persian: متعال ساختن
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: podnosić (pl)
• Portuguese: elevar (pt)
• Russian: поднима́ть вверх (podnimátʹ vverx), поднима́ть (ru) (podnimátʹ), ободрять (ru) (obodrjatʹ)
• Spanish: elevar (es), alzar (es), trascender (es), exaltar (es)
• Turkish: yükseltmek (tr)
• Ukrainian: піднімати вгору (pidnimaty vhoru)

Noun

uplift (plural uplifts)

1. The act or result of being uplifted.
   • 2019 October, Tony Miles snd Philip Sherratt, “EMR kicks off new era”, in Modern Railways, page 58:

     The EMR Regional timetable improvements also include a significant uplift in Sunday services.

2. (geology) A tectonic upheaval, especially one that takes place in the process of mountain building.
   • 1971, George Finiel Adams, ‎Jerome Wyckoff, Landforms (page 143)

     Recent uplift of the Maine and Oregon coasts has not been enough to "undrown" the larger valleys; the shorelines are still submergent.

3. (colloquial) A brassiere that raises the breasts.

Translations

act of being uplifted

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

tectonic upheaval

• French: soulèvement (fr)
• Portuguese: sublevação (pt) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Spanish: levantamiento (es)

brassiere that raises the breasts

• French: balconnet (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

Anagrams

• lift up, liftup, pitful