different between against vs uplean

English

Alternative forms

• againest (obsolete), agaynest (obsolete), agaynst (obsolete)
• ageinest (obsolete, rare), ageinst (obsolete), agenest (obsolete), agenst (obsolete), ageynest (obsolete, rare), ageynst (obsolete), agin (colloquial or humorous)
• 'gainst, gainst (poetic)

Etymology

Formed from Middle English ayenes, agenes, againes (“in opposition to”), a southern variant of agen, or directly from again, either way with adverbial genitive singular ending -es; the parasitic -t was added circa 1350, probably by confusion with the superlative ending -est. Surface analysis again +? -st (excrescent ending).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /????(?)nst/
• (US) IPA^(key): /????nst/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): /???e?nst/
• Hyphenation: a?gainst

Preposition

against

1. In a contrary direction to.

2. In physical opposition to; in collision with.
3. In physical contact with, so as to abut or be supported by.

4. Close to, alongside.

   A row of trees stood against a fence.
5. In front of; before (a background).

6. In contrast or comparison with.

7. In competition with, versus.

   • “[…] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons?! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”
8. Contrary to; in conflict with.

   Doing this is against my principles.

   It is against the law to smoke on these premises.

   There was no car in sight so we crossed against the red light.

9. In opposition to.

   Antonym: for

   (with implied object) Ten voted for, and three voted against.
10. Of betting odds, denoting a worse-than-even chance.

    Antonym: on

    That horse is fifty-to-one against, so it has virtually no chance of winning.

11. In exchange for.

12. As counterbalance to. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
13. As a charge on.

    Tax is levied against income from sales.

14. As protection from.
15. In anticipation of; in preparation for (a particular time, event etc.).

    The stores are kept well stocked against a time of need.

    • 2003, Rodger J. Bille, A Few of the Chosen: Survivors of Terrorism, Trafford Publishing ?ISBN, page 8

      Rod, who always distrusted such methods, was forced to accept the new way but had begun to stash away large amounts of cash against the day that the system might be sabotaged or failed entirely.

16. (Hollywood) To be paid now in contrast to the following amount to be paid later under specified circumstances, usually that a movie is made or has started filming.

    The studio weren't sure the movie would ever get made, so they only paid $50,000 against $200,000. That way they wouldn't be out very much if filming never began.
17. (obsolete) Exposed to. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Synonyms

• (in competition with): versus

Antonyms

• with

Translations

Conjunction

against

1. (obsolete) By the time that (something happened); before.
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society 1973, p. 6:

     He now gave Mrs Deborah positive orders to take the child to her own bed, and to call up a maid-servant to provide it pap, and other things, against it waked.

Translations

Anagrams

• Gaitans, antigas, antisag

English

Etymology

From up- +? lean.

Verb

uplean (third-person singular simple present upleans, present participle upleaning, simple past and past participle upleant or upleaned)

1. (transitive, intransitive, literary) To lean or incline upward; to cause (something) to lean upward.
   • 1834, Albert Pike, “Sunset” in Prose Sketches and Poems Written in the Western Country, Boston: Light & Horton, pp. 192-193,^[1]

     The western sky is wallen

     With shadowy mountains, built upon the marge

     Of the horizon, from eve’s purple sheen,

     And thin gray clouds, that daringly uplean

     Their silver cones upon the crimson verge

     Of the high zenith,

   • 1856, Gold-Pen (pseudonym), “My Cottage” in Poems, Philadelphia: Lippincott, 2nd edition, pp. 188-189,^[2]

     I forced the slowly yielding door

     That ope’d on Sabbath morn no more,

     And found all that the winds withstood,

     Was an upleaning piece of wood.

   • 1895, Orelia Key Bell, “And every morning as I passed her bower” in Poems, Philadelphia: Rodgers, p. 181,^[3]

     […] that liquid cadency

     Seep’d thro’ the casement to the birds and me,

     Who upleaning drank, and drinking upleaned more.

   • 1902, George Macdonald Major, “A Chinatown Idyll” in Lays of Chinatown, New York: The Lloyd Press, 2nd edition, p. 64,^[4]

     A rakish hat was tilted o’er his eyes.

     A cigarette, with intermittent fire,

     Upleaned to meet it from his stern set lips.

   • 1912, John Muir, The Yosemite, New York: Century, 1920, Chapter 14, p. 244,^[5]

     […] the snow which covered the glacier was melted into upleaning, icy blades which were extremely difficult to cross […]

2. (intransitive, obsolete, rare) To lean (on something).
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, London: William Ponsonbie, Book 3, Canto 2, p. 422,^[6]

     With that vpleaning on her elbow weake,

     Her alablaster brest she soft did kis,

   • 1591, Edmund Spenser, “Virgils Gnat” in Complaints, London: William Ponsonbie,^[7]

     […] thus his carelesse time

     This shepheard driues, vpleaning on his batt,

     And on shrill reedes chaunting his rustick rime,

Anagrams

• Lupane, Nepaul, lupane, unpale