top - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

top

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈtɒp/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/tɑp/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(top)

Inflections of 'top' (v): (⇒ conjugate)
tops
v 3rd person singular
topping
v pres p
topped
v past
topped
v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024
top1 /tɑp/USA pronunciation   n., adj., v., topped, top•ping. 
n. [countable]
  1. the highest point, part, etc., of anything:the top of the mountain.
  2. a lid of a container.
  3. the highest or leading position:[usually singular]She's always ranked at the top of the class.
  4. the highest pitch or degree:[countable* singular]shouting at the top of their voices.
  5. the first part;
    beginning:Take that last piece of music from the top.
  6. Clothinga garment for the upper body:a skirt and a matching top.
  7. a rooflike upper part or cover on a vehicle:They drove with the top down.
  8. the head or the crown of the head:from top to toe.
  9. Sportthe first half of an inning in baseball.

adj. [before a noun]
  1. of or relating to the top;
    highest;
    greatest:to pay top prices.
  2. foremost, chief, or principal:Highest salaries are paid to the top players.
  3. (among the) highest in rank or popularity;
    best:the top ten movies.

v. 
  1. to furnish with a top;
    put a top on:[~ + object]topped the sundae with a cherry.
  2. to be at, form, or make up the top of:[~ + object]Ice cream topped the cake.
  3. to reach the top of:[~ + object]to top the mountain peak.
  4. to be greater than (something) in height, amount, etc.:[~ + object]Those unemployment figures topped the numbers for our worst years.
  5. to surpass, excel, or outdo:[~ + object]I've seen some weird things before, but this tops everything.
  6. to remove the top of;
    crop;
    prune:[~ + object]to top a tree.
  7. top off:
    • to complete, esp. in a very good manner;
      finish: [~ + off + object]On their anniversary they topped off the evening with champagne.[~ + object + off]And to top it off, they won three million dollars in the lottery.
  8. top out, [no object] to reach the highest level:Prices may have topped out at their highest level.
Idioms
  1. Idioms at the top of one's lungs or voice, as loudly as possible;
    with full voice.
  2. Idioms off the top of one's head, without thought or preparation:Off the top of my head I would say we've lost 83% of our oil refining capabilities.
  3. Idioms on top, successful;
    having won a victory:believes she'll always come out on top.
  4. Idioms on top of:
    • over or upon:We put the plunger on top of the drain and pushed down hard.
    • in addition to;
      over and above:They lost their jobs, car, and home, and on top of all that their children got sick.
    • in control:The firefighters seem on top of the problem and will probably extinguish the fire soon.
    • very or overly close to:People were living on top of each other.
    • aware of;
      informed about:I like to stay on top of the news.
  5. Idioms on top of the world, very happy;
    excitedly happy.


top2 /tɑp/USA pronunciation   n. [countable]
  1. a toy with a point on which it is made to spin.
Idioms
  1. Idioms sleep like a top, to sleep soundly.


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024
top1 (top),USA pronunciation  n., adj., v., topped, top•ping. 

n. 
  1. the highest or loftiest point or part of anything;
    apex;
    summit.
  2. the uppermost or upper part, surface, etc., of anything.
  3. the higher end of anything on a slope.
  4. [Brit.]
    • a part considered as higher:the top of the street.
    • high gear of an automobile.
  5. tops, 
    • the part of a plant that grows above ground, esp. of an edible root.
    • one of the tender tips of the branches or shoots of plants.
  6. the part of anything that is first or foremost;
    beginning:Let's go over it from the top again.
  7. the highest or leading place, position, rank, etc.:at the top of the class.
  8. the highest point, pitch, or degree:to talk at the top of one's voice.
  9. a person or thing that occupies the highest or leading position.
  10. the best or choicest part:the top of all creation.
  11. a covering or lid, as of a container or vehicle.
  12. the head.
  13. Clothingany of various outer garments for the upper body, as a blouse, shirt, or sweater:a sale on cotton tops and shorts.
  14. [Naut.]a platform surrounding the head of a lower mast on a ship, and serving as a foothold, a means of extending the upper rigging, etc.
  15. [Chem.]the part of a mixture under distillation that volatilizes first.
  16. [Bridge.]
    • the best card of a suit in a player's hand.
    • (in duplicate bridge) the best score on a hand.
  17. [Sports.]
    • a stroke that hits the ball above its center.
    • the forward spin given to the ball by such a stroke.
  18. [Baseball.]
    • the first half of an inning.
    • the first three batters in the batting order.
  19. [Textiles.]
    • a cluster of textile fibers, esp. tow, put on a distaff.
    • a strand of the long wool fibers in sliver form, separated from noil by combing and wound into a large ball.
    • a similar strand of rayon.
  20. [Jewelry.]crown (def. 27).
  21. blow one's top, [Informal.]
    • to become enraged;
      lose one's temper.
    • to go mad;
      become insane:He must have blown his top to make such a fool of himself.
  22. off the top of one's head, [Informal.]See head (def. 56).
  23. on top, successful;
    victorious;
    dominant:to stay on top.
  24. on top of:
    • over or upon.
    • in addition to;
      over and above.
    • close upon;
      following upon:Gale winds came on top of the floods.
    • in complete control:on top of the problem.
  25. on top of the world:
    • successful.
    • elated:The success made her feel on top of the world.
  26. over the top:
    • [Mil.]over the top of the parapet before a trench, as in issuing to charge against the enemy.
    • surpassing a goal, quota, or limit.
  27. the tops, [Informal.]the most outstanding person or thing in ability, favor, etc.:As a friend, she's the tops.

adj. 
  1. pertaining to, situated at, or forming the top;
    highest;
    uppermost;
    upper:the top shelf.
  2. highest in degree;
    greatest:to pay top prices.
  3. foremost, chief, or principal:to win top honors in a competition.

v.t. 
  1. to furnish with a top;
    put a top on.
  2. to be at or constitute the top of.
  3. to reach the top of.
  4. to rise above:The sun had topped the horizon.
  5. to exceed in height, amount, number, etc.
  6. to surpass, excel, or outdo:That tops everything.
  7. [Theat.](in spoken dialogue) to reply in a voice of greater volume or higher pitch:King Henry must top the crowd noises in his St. Crispin's Day speech.
  8. to surmount with something specified:to top a sundae with whipped cream.
  9. to remove the top of;
    crop;
    prune:to top a tall tree.
  10. to get or leap over the top of (a fence, barrier, etc.).
  11. [Chem.]to distill off only the most volatile part of (a mixture).
  12. [Sports.]
    • to strike (the ball) above its center, giving it a forward spin.
    • to make (a stroke) by hitting the ball in this manner.
  13. to top-dress (land).
  14. [Obs.]to have coitus with (a woman).

v.i. 
  1. to rise aloft.
  2. top off:
    • to climax or complete, esp. in an exceptional manner;
      finish:They topped off the evening with a ferryboat ride at midnight.
    • to fill (a partly full container) completely:to top off a gas tank.
  3. top oneself, [Chiefly Brit.]to kill oneself.
  4. top out:
    • to finish the top of (a structure).
    • to reach the highest level.
  • bef. 1000; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch top, German Zopf, Old Norse toppr top
    • 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged zenith, acme, peak, pinnacle, vertex.
    • 39.See corresponding entry in Unabridged lop.
    • 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged bottom.
top2  (top),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. a toy, often inversely conical, with a point on which it is made to spin.
  2. sleep like a top, to sleep soundly:After a day of hiking and swimming we slept like tops.
  • bef. 1100; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Frisian, dialect, dialectal Dutch top

top-, 
  1. var. of topo- before a vowel:toponym.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
top /tɒp/ n
  1. the highest or uppermost part of anything: the top of a hill
  2. the most important or successful position: to be at the top of the class, the top of the table
  3. the part of a plant that is above ground: carrot tops
  4. a thing that forms or covers the uppermost part of anything, esp a lid or cap
  5. the highest degree or point: at the top of his career
  6. the most important person
  7. the best or finest part of anything
  8. the loudest or highest pitch (esp in the phrase top of one's voice)
  9. short for top gear
  10. the highest card of a suit in a player's hand
  11. a stroke that hits the ball above its centre
  12. short for topspin
  13. a platform around the head of a lower mast of a sailing vessel, the edges of which serve to extend the topmast shrouds
  14. a garment, esp for a woman, that extends from the shoulders to the waist or hips
  15. on top of ⇒ in addition to
  16. informal in complete control of (a difficult situation, job, etc)
  17. over the top ⇒ over the limit; excessive(ly); lacking restraint or a sense of proportion
  18. the top of the morning ⇒ a morning greeting regarded as characteristic of Irishmen
 adj
  1. of, relating to, serving as, or situated on the top
 vb (tops, topping, topped)(mainly tr)
  1. to form a top on (something): to top a cake with whipped cream
  2. to remove the top of or from
  3. to reach or pass the top of
  4. to be at the top of: he tops the team
  5. to exceed or surpass
  6. slang to kill
  7. (also intr) to hit (a ball) above the centre
  8. to make (a stroke) by hitting the ball in this way
  9. top and tail ⇒ to trim off the ends of (fruit or vegetables) before cooking them
  10. to wash a baby's face and bottom without immersion in a bath

See also top off, top out, tops, top upEtymology: Old English topp; related to Old High German zopf plait, Old Norse toppr tuft
top /tɒp/ n
  1. a toy that is spun on its pointed base by a flick of the fingers, by pushing a handle at the top up and down, etc
  2. sleep like a top ⇒ to sleep very soundly
Etymology: Old English, of unknown origin
'top' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
A - Balmoral - Banbury cake - Braine - abacus - above - acro- - aerial top dressing - affirmative flag - ale - aloft - altar board - amortizement - aneroid barometer - ankh - annulet - antefix - anvil - apostle - arytenoid - aspergillus - astrodome - atop - attic - awash - away - awning - awning window - azerty keyboard - baby doll - bachelor chest - back - backband - bald - balloon - baluster - baluster measure - baluster stem - banana split - banister back - bank - banner - banner ad - banquette - barouche - barrel - barrelhead - barstool - basin - bat-eared
Collocations: top the [cake, ice cream] with, is wearing a [blue, cotton, plain, matching, dressy] top, a top [seller, scorer, earner], more...

Forum discussions with the word(s) "top" in the title:


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