Upreared

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To raise an object or creature to a standing position, often implying a sense of pride or strength
2. Lifted or brought into an upright stance, often indicating strength or stature
3. Elevated from a lower position to stand vertically, suggesting alertness or readiness

Etymology: "Upreared" is the past tense and past participle of "uprear," a verb that means to raise up to a vertical position. It came into English from Middle English "upreren," which combined the prefix "up-" with "rear," meaning to lift or raise. So the whole word is simply an upward lifting added to an older verb of raising. The base verb "rear" goes back to Old English "rǣran," meaning to raise or set up, and it is closely tied to the idea of standing something on end. Its sense of an animal rising on its hind legs, as a horse does, grew out of that same idea of lifting into an upright position. "Upreared" keeps this picture intact, so a head or a hooded cobra can be described as upreared, lifted up and held erect.

Synonyms: raised, lifted, erected