higher

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: hīr, hīʹər, IPA^(key): /haɪə/, /ˈhaɪ.ə/
• (General American) enPR: hīr, hīʹər, IPA^(key): /haɪɹ/, /ˈhaɪ.ɚ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Homophone: hire
• Hyphenation: high‧er
• Rhymes: -aɪə(ɹ)

Adjective

higher

1. comparative form of high: more high

Adverb

higher

1. comparative form of high: more high

Noun

higher (plural highers)

1. (Scotland, education) A national school-leaving examination and university entrance qualification.

Verb

higher (third-person singular simple present highers, present participle highering, simple past and past participle highered)

1. (transitive) To make higher; to raise or increase in amount or quantity.
   • 1847, George Crosby, Crosby's Parliamentary Record:

     It is a fact that other countries have not followed our example, nay, that they have in fact, in some cases, highered the duties upon the admission of our goods. But what has been the result of that policy upon the amount of your exports?

   • 1903, Canada. Parliament. House of Commons, Official Report of the Debates, House of Commons:

     I am glad also that my hon. friend the Minister of Finance had the firmness to oppose all these influences to make him change his policy, and I hope, for the good of the country and the blessing of the Dominion, that when any change takes place it will be in the direction of lowering rather than of highering the tariff.

2. (intransitive) To ascend.

Derived terms

• Coity Higher
• higher-speed rail
• Higher Buxton
• Higher Heysham
• Higher Hurst
• Llanrhidian Higher

References

• “higher”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.