high

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
high/hʌɪ/

▶adjective

• 1 of great vertical extent.

  ■ of a specified height.

  ■ far above ground or sea level.

  ■ extending above the normal level.

  ■ (of latitude) near the North or South Pole.

• 2 great in amount, value, size, or intensity.

  ■ (of a period or movement) at its peak: high summer.

• 3 great in rank or status.

  ■ morally or culturally superior.

• 4 (of a sound or note) having a frequency at the upper end of the auditory range.

• 5 informal euphoric, especially from the effects of drugs or alcohol.

• 6 (of food) strong-smelling because beginning to go bad.

  ■ (of game) slightly decomposed and so ready to cook.

• 7 Phonetics (of a vowel) produced with the tongue relatively near the palate.

▶noun

• 1 a high point, level, or figure.

• 2 an anticyclone.

• 3 informal a state of euphoria.

• 4 informal, chiefly N. Amer. high school.

▶adverb

• 1 at or to a considerable or specified height.

• 2 highly.

  ■ at a high price.

• 3 (of a sound) at or to a high pitch.

– phrases
ace (or king or queen etc.) high (in card games) having the ace (or another specified card) as the highest-ranking.
from on high from remote high authority or heaven.
high and dry

• 1 stranded by the sea as it retreats.

• 2 without resources.

high and low in many different places.
high and mighty informal arrogant.
the high ground a position of superiority.
a high old time informal a most enjoyable time.
it is high time that —— it is past the time when something should have happened or been done.
on one's high horse informal behaving arrogantly or pompously.
run high

• 1 (of a river) be full and close to overflowing, with a strong current.

• 2 (of feelings) be intense.

– origin OE hēah, of Gmc origin.