The upper hand

Upper Up"per, a.; comp. of {Up}. Being further up, literally or figuratively; higher in place, position, rank, dignity, or the like; superior; as, the upper lip; the upper side of a thing; the upper house of a legislature. [1913 Webster]

{The upper hand}, the superiority; the advantage. See {To have the upper hand}, under {Hand}. --Jowett (Thucyd.).

{Upper Bench} (Eng. Hist.), the name of the highest court of common law (formerly King's Bench) during the Commonwealth.

{Upper case}, the top one of a pair of compositor's cases. See the Note under 1st {Case}, n., 3.

{Upper covert} (Zo["o]l.), one of the coverts situated above the bases of the tail quills.

{Upper deck} (Naut.), the topmost deck of any vessel; the spar deck.

{Upper leather}, the leather for the vamps and quarters of shoes.

{Upper strake} (Naut.), the strake next to the deck, usually of hard wood, and heavier than the other strakes.

{Upper ten thousand}, or (abbreviated) {Upper ten}, the ten thousand, more or less, who are highest in position or wealth; the upper class; the aristocracy. [Colloq.]

{Upper topsail} (Naut.), the upper half of a double topsail.

{Upper works} (Naut.), all those parts of the hull of a vessel that are properly above water.

{Upper world}. (a) The atmosphere. (b) Heaven. (c) This world; the earth; -- in distinction from the {underworld}. [1913 Webster]