upturned

Upturned is an adjective describing something that has been turned upward or tilted so that its upper side faces upward. The term can apply to physical objects, human or animal features, or to natural or manufactured forms that curve or point upward. In everyday usage, upturned is commonly used to describe body parts or features, such as an upturned nose, an upturned lip, or an upturned chin, as well as clothing elements like upturned cuffs or hems.

In architecture and design, upturned elements refer to shapes that curve upward at the edge or end, such as upturned eaves or a hull with an upturned bow in maritime contexts.

In botany and horticulture, upturned can describe leaves or petals oriented upward or a plant habit that lifts parts of the plant toward the sky; more precise terms such as revolute or reflexed may be used for specific leaf margins.

In geology, upturned describes rock strata that have been rotated from their original orientation, often as a result of tectonic deformation; the term is related to overturned in describing folds or beds whose dip direction has been reversed.

Etymology: the word derives from up + turn + ed, from Middle English usage.

See also: upturn, inverted, overturn, overturning.