noun
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.
a part considered as higher
the top of the street
b.
high gear of an automobile
5. See tops
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.
any of various outer garments for the upper body, as a blouse, shirt, or sweater
a sale on cotton tops and shorts
14.Chemistry
the part of a mixture under distillation that volatilizes first
15.Nautical
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
16.Bridge
a.
the best card of a suit in a player's hand
b.(in duplicate bridge)
the best score on a hand
17.Sport
a.
a stroke that hits the ball above its center
b.
the forward spin given to the ball by such a stroke
18.Baseball
a.
the first half of an inning
b.
the first three batters in the batting order
19.Textiles
a.
a cluster of textile fibers, esp. tow, put on a distaff
b.
a strand of the long wool fibers in sliver form, separated from noil by combing and wound into a large ball
c.
a similar strand of rayon
20.Jewelry crown (sense 27)
21. See blow one's top
22. See off the top of one's head
23. See on top
24. See on top of
25. See on top of the world
26. See over the top
27. See the tops
adjective
28.
pertaining to, situated at, or forming the top; highest; uppermost; upper
the top shelf
29.
highest in degree; greatest
to pay top prices
30.
foremost, chief, or principal
to win top honors in a competition
transitive verb
31.
to furnish with a top; put a top on
32.
to be at or constitute the top of
33.
to reach the top of
34.
to rise above
The sun had topped the horizon
35.
to exceed in height, amount, number, etc
36.
to surpass, excel, or outdo
That tops everything
37. Theater (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
38.
to surmount with something specified
to top a sundae with whipped cream
39.
to remove the top of; crop; prune
to top a tall tree
40.
to get or leap over the top of (a fence, barrier, etc.)
41.Chemistry
to distill off only the most volatile part of (a mixture)
42.Sport
a.
to strike (the ball) above its center, giving it a forward spin
b.
to make (a stroke) by hitting the ball in this manner
43.
to top-dress (land)
44.obsolete
to have coitus with (a woman)
intransitive verb
45.
to rise aloft
46. See top off
47. See top oneself
48. See top out
SYNONYMS 1. zenith, acme, peak, pinnacle, vertex. 39. lop.ANTONYMS 1. bottom.
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019 by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[bef. 1000; ME, OE; c. D top, G Zopf, ON toppr top]
