Also up-hill, up hill. [f. UP prep.1 Cf. HILL sb. 1 c. In early use unhyphened.]
1. Towards the top of the hill or high ground; in an upward direction on a (steep) slope. Also in fig. contexts.
α. 1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 311. The Persians … accustome their Horsses to run both down hil, and vp hil.
1687. A. Lovell, trans. Thevenot’s Trav., I. 10. The Streets … are incommodious, in that one is always going either up hill or down hill.
1737. [S. Berington], Mem. G. di Lucca, 112. These Men … were approaching to the Line,… and supposing the Structure of … the Earth to be Spheroidal, went up Hill all the way.
1746. in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. I. 440. As we march’d, all the way up hill, and over very uneven Ground.
1779. G. Keate, Sketches fr. Nat. (ed. 2), I. 67. The successors of Saint Peter … trotted them up hill, and down hill,… just as they pleased to lead the way.
1824. Scott, St. Ronan’s, iv. Mr. Winterblossom … would gladly have been the personal representative of the company…—but it [sc. the walk] was up hill.
β. 1712. J. James, trans. Le Blond’s Gardening, 118. To be constantly going Up-hill, or Down-hill.
1748. Anson’s Voy., II. i. 122. The dogs … ran up-hill with great alacrity.
1818. Hazlitt, Eng. Poets, v. 178. Thomson’s blank verse … seems always labouring up-hill.
1877. Huxley, Physiogr., 17. To do that the water would have to run up-hill.
1879. F. Pollok, Sport Brit. Burmah, I. 79. He could only go up-hill backwards.
fig. 1682. Sir T. Browne, Chr. Mor. (1716), 109. To offer at iniquities, which have so little foundations in thee, were to be vitious up hill, and strain for thy condemnation.
1876. Bancroft, Hist. U.S., VI. 340. We are always working up-hill.
2. To or on the upper side of.
1922. ‘Klaxon’ (J. G. Bower), Heather Mixture, xii. 248. The huntsman was riding as fast as his horse could gallop on Dicky’s left, working to get uphill of the pack.
