Uppercases

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. Capital letters used to start sentences or proper nouns; characters that are larger versions of lowercase letters; text formatted with all letters in their uppercase form
2. Letters in their larger variant typically beginning names and titles; symbols that contrast with their smaller counterparts; writing style where every letter is capitalized
3. Characters representing the higher case in alphabets, often used to indicate emphasis or specific grammar rules; bigger form of letters compared to lowercase; text composed entirely of these larger letters

Etymology: "Uppercases" is the third-person singular form of "uppercase," which is itself a compound of "upper" and "case." The "upper" part comes from Old English "uppor," meaning higher or above, a word that descends from the same Proto-Germanic stem as "up." The "case" part traces back through Middle English and Old French "casse" to Latin "capsa," a box or receptacle. The link to printing explains the pairing. Compositors set type by hand, drawing letters from wooden trays called cases, and the capital letters were stored in the upper tray while the small letters sat in the lower one. Capitals therefore became "upper case," and small letters "lower case." The compound "uppercase" became an ordinary English word from that trade vocabulary, and the verb "to uppercase," meaning to convert text to capitals, followed from it.

Synonyms: capitals, majuscule, uppercase letters, capital letters, large letters

Antonyms: lowercases, minuscule, small letters, lowercase letters