high(2) (iou) and sigh(1) (iou)

high(2) (iou)

high adjective, adverb, & noun.
[Old English heah (heag-) = Old Frisian hach, Old Saxon, Old High German hoh (Dutch hoog, German hoch), Old Norse ha r, Gothic hauhs, from Germanic.]
A. adjective.
I.
Of great or above average or (pred.) specified vertical extent or magnitude. OE.
Swift The common size of the natives is somewhat under six inches high. T. Hardy The granary..stood on stone staddles, high enough for persons to walk under. E. Welty Her high heels tilted her nearly to tiptoe. J. G. Ballard To calculate the height of..the highest building by pacing out its shadow on the ground. A. Munro The house we lived in had big, high rooms.
b. Standing out from a surface, in relief. OE.
c. spec. in Typography. Designating type which stands higher than the rest of the forme. L17.
d. Esp. of clothing: extending above the normal or average level. E19.
Situated far above the ground or a specified level; designating the upper or inland part of a country or district (chiefly in place-names). OE.
G. Greene She had high prominent cheek-bones. J. Steinbeck The high slopes of this mountain were swaddled with pines. J. Wain High up, but not at the top.
b. pred. Situated at a specified distance above some level. M17.
R. S. Robinson The limit of atmospheric air, supposed to be forty-five miles high.
Of a physical action: extending to or from, or performed at, a considerable distance above the ground or some Other level. L16.
New Yorker He climbed up the ladder to the high-diving platform.
Esp. of a river, lake etc.: above the usual vertical measurement; deep. L18.
Phonetics. Of a sound: produced with part of the tongue raised close to the palate. M19.
II. fig.
Of exalted rank, position, or quality; superior, noble; elevated; luxurious. OE.
F. Norris He now should follow his best, his highest, his most unselfish impulse. J. Conrad I know the wife of a very high personage in the Administration. W. Golding My status there was not precisely as high as I had suggested. P. Roth He loses his job..because somebody high up wants to be rid of the stupid Vice-Minister.
b. Haughty, arrogant, overbearing; angry. Now chiefly dial. ME.
D. Jacobson He..tried to take a high line with me, looking haughty and indifferent.
c. Important; serious, grave. ME.
Sir W. Scott When tidings of high weight were borne To that lone island's shore.
d. Advanced, abstruse. obsolete exc. in special collocations (see below). LME.
e. Biology. Having a highly developed or complex organization, spec. through evolutionary advance. Earlier in HIGHER adjective 2b. L19.
Chief, principal, main. obsolete exc. in special collocations (see below). ME.
(Of a quality, condition, etc.) great, intense; strong; violent; (of a quantity or value) greater than what is regarded as normal; (of a temperature) more likely to promote melting and the emission of radiation. Formerly also, (of a voice) raised, loud. ME.
E. Waugh He played Poker for high stakes. W. S. Maugham He had high fever, and looked very much as if he were going to die. W. S. Churchill In a time of high crisis he could play a decisive r?le. R. Ingalls Dorothy did not set the sound very high. J. Gathorne-Hardy Diabetes is statistically high in Lincolnshire.
b. Extreme in opinion; spec. = HIGH CHURCH adjectival phr. L17.
G. Greene He learns the truth, takes a high moral line about deception. P. Ackroyd The Services..were as 'high' as possible without bearing the taint of Romanism.
c. Expensive, costly; (of a card-game) played for large stakes. E18.
G. Santayana The thing was well worth the money, even if the tickets came rather high.
d. Of latitude: at a great distance from the equator. M18.
e. Nautical. Of a ship or its head: pointing close to the wind. M19.
Of a time or season: far advanced, fully reached, at its peak of activity. ME.
S. Bedford High time some of us were baptized. M. Shadbolt It was a high hot summer before they got down to Telka.
b. spec. Of a period (in the past): remote in time, ancient, esp. at its peak of development. E17.
A. Briggs The period from 1851-1867 was the period of high-Victorian England.
c. (Esp. of meat) smelling and beginning to go bad; (of game) slightly decomposed and so ready to cook. E19.
J. Raban The room was high with the thin stink of their preservative. T. Mo Disease from dead bodies, Sir. He'll be high by noon.
Of a voice, musical note, etc.: acute in pitch, shrill. LME.
G. Greene A saloon car with a high yapping horn. B. Emecheta The high laughter of the Shavi women.
Elated, merry (chiefly in high spirits, high-spirited below); spec. (slang) intoxicated by or on alcohol or drugs. E17.
P. Bowles You know, I think I'm getting quite high. J. Heller She is at least a little bit high on Wine or whiskey. Midweek Truth (Melbourne) She was high on heroin.
b. adverb.
At or to a great distance upward; in or into a high position; far up. OE.
M. Roberts She walks down the street as proud as a queen, holding her head high. H. Bascom Twelve o'clock. The sun stands high.
In or to a high degree, rank, etc.; to a great extent; at or to a high price. Formerly also, loudly. ME.
Ld Macaulay Lewis consented to go as high as twenty-five thousand crowns. H. Belloc A courtier who had risen high in the State by flattery and cowardice. B. Emecheta Malaria would make a child's temperature run high.
b. Richly, luxuriously. E17.
R. Carver He..always had money and lived high.
c. At or to a high latitude; far from the equator. M17.
Haughtily, arrogantly, overbearingly. LME-M19.
At or to a high pitch in sound. LME.
R. Dahl The woman's voice, raised high in anger, or pain.
Far back in time, early. Formerly also, far on in time, late. Now rare. E16.
C. noun.
A high place or region; spec. an area of high barometric pressure. ME.
A. Alvarez The weather forecaster talked..of a high over the Atlantic and continuing fine weather.
The highest card dealt or drawn. Chiefly in high-low-jack (and the game) = ALL FOURS 2. E19.
A high level exceeding that previously attained, a record. E20.
St Louis Post-Dispatch Kinloch's population has shrunk to 4,455 from a high of 10,000.
High school. N. Amer. colloq. E20.
New Yorker I started playing drums in junior high.
High gear. E20.
A euphoric state (as) induced by the taking of a drug or drugs. slang. M20.
J. Gaskell They think it's the smoke talking, and they feel it's the sign of a good high. J. O'Faolain Yeats had managed to get a remarkable high out of his failures with women.
Phrases, special collocations, & comb.: ace high, King high, Queen high, etc., Cards having the specified card as the highest-ranking card. a high old time colloq. a most enjoyable time. at high wish: see WISH noun. blow high, blow low: see BLOW verb1. friends in high places: see FRIEND noun. from on high from heaven or a high place. hang as high as HAMAN. hell and high water: see HELL noun. High Admiral Nautical a chief officer of admiral's rank. high altar the principal altar of a church. high and dry (a) Nautical (of a ship) out of the water; above the high-water mark; (b) fig. out of the current of events; stranded. high and low adjective & noun (people) of all conditions. high and low adverb everywhere, esp. in search high and low etc. high and mighty (a) colloq. arrogant; (b) arch. of exalted rank. high as a kite intoxicated. highbinder US (a) a ruffian; an assassin; (b) a swindler; a fraudulent politician; (c) a member of a Chinese-American secret society resembling the Mafia. highboard adjective of or relating to diving from a high diving-board. high-born adjective of noble birth. highboy N. Amer. a chest of drawers on a stand or table with drawers. high-brown noun & adjective (US) (a person) of mixed black and white parentage, having a pale brown skin. high camp sophisticated camp (cf. CAMP noun3). high card a card that outranks others; esp. an ace or a court-card. high chair an infant's chair for use at meals, having long legs, and a tray acting as both table and restraint. high-class adjective of high quality. high COCKALORUM. high colour a flushed or florid complexion. High Commission an embassy from one Commonwealth country to another. High Commissioner the head of such an embassy. high-concept noun & adjective (having or designating) a striking and easily communicable idea, esp. a plot for a Film or Television show. High Constable: see CONSTABLE 4. high country NZ hilly country used for sheep-farming. High Court of Chancery: see CHANCERY 2. High Court (of Justice) the supreme court of justice for civil cases. High Court of Justiciary: see JUSTICIARY noun2. high day a festal day. high-definition adjective designating or providing a relatively clear or distinct image. High Dutch: see DUTCH noun1, adjective. high-end adjective of, pertaining to, or associated with the most expensive section of the market. high enema: delivered into the colon. highest good: see GOOD noun. high explosive: see EXPLOSIVE noun. high farming the extensive use of fertilizers in land cultivation. high Fashion = HAUTE COUTURE. high fidelity Audio (the reproduction of) high-fidelity sound. high-fidelity adjective (Audio) designating, pertaining to, or characterized by relatively accurate reproduction of sound with little distortion (cf. HI-FI). high finance: concerned with large sums. high-five noun & adjective (N. Amer. slang) (a) noun a gesture of celebration or greeting in which two people slap each Other's palms with their arms extended over their heads; (b) verb trans. greet with a high-five. high forest a forest composed wholly or chiefly of trees raised from seed; gen. a forest composed of tall trees. high frequency spec. a frequency of vibration or oscillation having a relatively large number of cycles per second; in Telecommunications etc., a frequency in the range from 3 to 30 megahertz. high gear a gear of a motor vehicle providing a high ratio between the speed of the driven wheels and that of the driving mechanism and so a high speed to the vehicle itself. High German: see German noun1 & adjective1. high-grade adjective & verb (a) adjective of high quality; spec. (of ore) rich in metal value and commercially profitable; (b) verb trans. & intrans. steal (high-grade ore). high ground (a) ground that is naturally elevated and therefore strategically advantageous; (b) the position of (esp. moral) superiority in a debate etc. high-headed adjective proud, arrogant. high-hearted adjective (arch.) courageous. high heels high-heeled shoes. high holiday the Jewish New Year or Day of Atonement. high hurdles a race in which runners jump over hurdles 42 inches (107 cm) high. high-impact adjective (a) that causes a great impact; that has a great effect or makes a strong impression; (b) (of plastic etc.) able to withstand a large impact without breaking; (c) (of exercises, typically aerobics) that place a great deal of stress on the body. high jinks: see JINK noun 1. high-jump noun & verb (a) noun an athletic event consisting of jumping over a high bar without dislodging it; for the high-jump, on trial and likely to be sentenced to hanging, on a misdemeanour charge and likely to receive punishment, likely to be dismissed; (b) verb intrans. make or take part in a high-jump. high-jumper an athlete who performs or specializes in the high-jump. high-jumping the action of performing the high-jump. high-key adjective (Photography) consisting of light tones. high-keyed adjective of a high pitch; fig. tense, nervous. high kick a dancer's kick high in the air. high-level adjective (a) (of negotiations etc.) conducted by high-ranking people; (b) (of a computer language) having each instruction corresponding to many instructions in machine code. high life (a) a luxurious existence ascribed to the upper classes; (b) a W. African type of Dance Music. high living = high life (a) above. high mass: see MASS noun1. high-melting adjective melting at a relatively high temperature. high men dice loaded to turn up high numbers. high noon (a) midday; (b) [popularized by the Film High Noon (1952)] an event or confrontation which is likely to decide the final outcome of a situation. high-octane adjective (of petrol etc.) having good antiknock properties. high opinion a favourable opinion of. high-pass adjective (Electronics) designating a filter that attenuates only those components with a frequency lower than some cut-off frequency. high-pitched adjective (a) (of a sound) high; (b) (of a roof) steep; (c) (of style etc.) elevated. high point the maximum or best state reached; a noteworthy or outstanding feature. high polymer a polymer having a high molecular weight. high post Basketball an offensive position on the court, near to the free-throw line. high-powered adjective (a) having great power or energy; (b) fig. important, influential. high pressure (a) a high degree of activity, exertion, or coercion; (b) a condition of the atmosphere with the pressure above average. high-pressure verb trans. pressurize. high priest (a) a chief priest, esp. (Hist.) a Jewish one; (b) the head of a cult. high priestess a chief priestess. high profile a conspicuous public image or way of behaving; exposure to attention or publicity. high-profile adjective having a high profile. high-ranking adjective of high rank, senior. high-reaching adjective aspiring, ambitious. high relief: see RELIEF noun2 1. high-rise adjective & noun (a) adjective (of a building) having many storeys; (b) noun a high-rise building, esp. a block of flats. high-risk adjective involving or exposed to danger. high road (a) a main road; (b) a direct route to. high roller N. Amer. slang a person who gambles for high stakes or spends extravagantly. high school (a) a secondary school with a curriculum similar to that of a grammar school; N. Amer. a secondary school; (b) = HAUTE eCOLE. high sea(s) open sea(s), the sea(s) as not within any country's jurisdiction. high season the period of the greatest number of visitors at a resort etc. high-set adjective (arch.) (of sound) high-pitched. high sheriff: see SHERIFF noun 1. high sign US colloq. a surreptitious gesture indicating that all is well or that the coast is clear. high-sounding adjective (of speech etc.) pretentious, bombastic. high-speed adjective (a) produced or able to operate at high speed; (b) (of steel) suitable for cutting tools even when red-hot. high-spirited adjective vivacious; cheerful. high spirits vivacity; energy; cheerfulness. high spot colloq. a notable place or feature, an enjoyable moment or experience. high-stepper (a) a horse that lifts its feet high when walking or trotting; (b) a stately or high-class person. High Steward: see STEWARD noun. high-strung adjective = HIGHLY strung. high table a table on a platform at a public dinner, or for the fellows of a college. high tea: see TEA noun 5(b). high tech noun & adjective (a) noun = high technology below; (b) adjective (of Interior Design etc.) imitating functional styles more usual in industry etc.; gen. involved in, employing, or requiring high technology. high technology advanced technological development or equipment, esp. in electronics. high-tensile adjective (of metal) having great tensile strength. high tension: see TENSION noun 4. high-test adjective (US) (a) (of petrol) high-octane; (b) meeting very high standards. high tide the time or level of the tide at its flood. high-toned adjective stylish; pretentious; dignified; superior. high treason: see TREASON noun 2a. high-up colloq. a person of high rank (cf. HIGHER noun 1). high voltage electrical potential causing some danger of injury or damage. high water (the time of) the tide at its fullest; high-water mark, the level reached at high water or in a flood, fig. the maximum recorded value or highest point of excellence. high, wide, and handsome in a carefree or stylish manner. high Wine: containing a high percentage of alcohol. high wire a high tightrope. highwood a forest of tall trees. high words angry talk. high yaller, high yellow US, offensive. a person with one black and one white parent and having a palish skin. hold one's head high: see HOLD verb. how is that for high: see HOW adverb. in high feather: see FEATHER noun. in high gig: see GIG noun1. in the highest (a) in the heavens; (b) in the highest degree. King high: see ace high above. live high off the hog, live high on the hog: see HOG noun. Lord High Commissioner: see COMMISSIONER 1. on high in or to heaven or a high place. on one's high horse: see HORSE noun. on the high gig: see GIG noun1. play high (a) play for high stakes; (b) play a card of high value. Queen high: see ace high above. ride high: see RIDE verb. run high (a) (of the sea) have a strong current with high tide; (b) (of feelings) be strong. the High colloq. the High Street, esp. in Oxford. the high command, the higher command: see COMMAND noun 2b. the Most High God.

sigh(1) (iou)

sigh noun. LME.
[from the verb.]
A long deep and audible exhalation expressive of sadness, weariness, longing, etc. LME.
R. Kipling The last sentence..ended with a sigh as of faintness. G. Greene With a sigh of relief, Myatt found himself alone.
transf. A sound resembling this; esp. one made by the wind. E19.

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