top

Less common meanings

10. 10
    nouncountable or uncountable

    The lid or cap that covers a bottle, jar, or other container.

    She screwed the top back onto the water bottle.

    I can't get the top off this jar.

    Similarcap, cover, lid

11. 11
    spinning toynouncountable or uncountable

    A toy that spins around fast on a point when you twist it.

    Like a coin that spins on a table.

    The wooden top spun across the floor.

    He gave the top a quick twist and watched it go.

    UsageOften called a spinning top.

    Note
12. 12
    baseballnouncountable or uncountable

    The first half of an inning in baseball, when the visiting team bats.

    Like the first part of a round, before the other team gets to bat.

    The visiting team scored twice in the top of the third inning.

    With the home team fielding, the top of the inning went quickly.

    UsageOften in the top of the ninth.

    Oppositebottom

    Note
13. 13
    voice limitnouncountable or uncountable

    The highest or loudest level of a voice or sound.

    Like turning the volume all the way up.

    She shouted at the top of her voice.

    He sang right at the top of his range.

    UsageOften in at the top of your voice: very loudly.

    Oppositebottom

    Note
14. 14
    active partnernounslangcountable or uncountable

    The partner who penetrates, or prefers to penetrate, during sex.

    He's a top and has always been open about it.

    Many of the guys described themselves as tops.

    Oppositebottom

    Note
15. 15
    verbslangtransitive or intransitive

    To penetrate a partner during sex.

    He topped his boyfriend for the first time that weekend.

    He prefers to top rather than bottom.

    Oppositebottom

    Note
16. 16
    street endnouncountable or uncountable

    In British English, one end of a street, garden or table that people think of as its main or upper end.

    Meet me at the top of the road in ten minutes.

    The little shop sits right at the top of our street.

    UsageOften at the top of the street.

    Similarhead, end

    Oppositebottom

    Note
17. 17
    be tallerverbtransitive

    To rise higher than something else in height.

    The new tower tops every other building in the city.

    Sunflowers can top the garden fence by summer.

    UsageUse by for the difference: he topped them by a head.

    Similarexceed, surpass, dwarf

    Note
18. 18
    lead partner (BDSM)nouncountable or uncountable

    In BDSM, the partner who does things to the other, often but not always the one in control.

    As the top, she set the pace for the whole scene.

    Before they play, the top and the bottom agree on a safe word.

    Oppositebottom

    Note
19. 19
    verbintransitive

    In BDSM, to be the partner who does things to the other, often but not always the one in control.

    She likes to top during their weekend scenes.

    They top together at organized play events.

    Similardominate

    Oppositebottom, submit

    Note
20. 20
    forward spinnouncountable or uncountable

    Spin that makes a ball turn forward as it moves.

    Like spinning a ball forward so it keeps rolling after it lands.

    She put some top on the cue ball to make it roll forward.

    Put some top on the ping-pong ball, and it will dip down fast.

    UsageSay put top on the ball, with no a.

    Oppositebackspin

    Note
21. 21
    chestadjective

    Having to do with the chest or breasts.

    She scheduled her top surgery for the spring.

    He's saving up for top surgery next year.

    UsageAlmost always in top surgery.

    Note
22. 22
    lop offverbtransitive

    To cut the top off something, like a tree or a vegetable.

    Top the onions and peel off the dry skin.

    Dad topped the hedge so it would grow thicker.

    UsageTop and tail beans: cut off both ends.

    Similarlop

    Note
23. 23
    kill oneselfverbslangBritishreflexivetransitive

    To kill yourself.

    He threatened to top himself after losing everything.

    She feared her brother might top himself if left alone.

    UsageIt sounds blunt. In serious talk, say die by suicide.

    Similarkill

24. 24
    kill someoneverbslangBritishtransitive

    To kill someone, or to put someone to death as a punishment.

    The gang said they would top him if he talked to the police.

    Thirty-six were cast for death, and only one was ‘topped’ (hanged), the very one that expected to be ‘turned up’ (acquitted) for highway robbery.

    1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London PoorHere, topped means put to death by hanging.

    Similarkill, murder, slay, execute, slaughter

    Note
25. 25
    car roofnouncountable

    The roof of a car, especially the roof of a convertible that folds down or comes off.

    It was sunny, so we put the top down and drove to the beach.

    Rain started, and Dad hurried to raise the top.

    UsageFor a normal car, say roof.

    Similarroof

    Note
26. 26
    adjective

    As much or as high as possible.

    The train was going at top speed when it passed us.

    The kids next door played music at top volume all night.

    UsageUse it before a noun: top speed.

    Similarmaximum, highest, peak

    Oppositeminimum, lowest

27. 27
    leafy partnouncountable

    The leaves and stems that grow above the ground on vegetables like carrots and onions.

    The rabbit ate the leafy top off every carrot in our garden.

    Don't throw away the beet tops, because you can cook them like spinach.

    UsageOften plural: carrot tops.

    Similargreens, leaves

28. 28
    verbtransitive

    In golf, to hit the ball above its middle, or to make a shot by hitting it like that.

    Keep your eyes on the ball, or you might top it.

    He topped his first shot, and it rolled only a few feet.

    Note
29. 29
    noun

    A group of diners of a set number at a restaurant, or the table that seats them.
30. 30
    noun

    The highest price a stock reaches before it starts to fall.
31. 31
    noun

    The heaviest kind of quark, one of the tiny basic parts of matter.
32. 32
    noundialectalMulticultural London English

    Using the mouth on a man's penis during sex.
33. 33
    noun

    A platform high on a ship's mast for the ropes.
34. 34
    nounarchaic

    The upper part of your head, or your hair.

    All the stored vengeances of Heaven fall / On her ungrateful top!

    c. 1603, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”
35. 35
    nounarchaic

    The most important person.

    to be the top of zealots

    1649, J[ohn] Milton, ΕΙΚΟΝΟΚΛΆΣΤΗΣ [Eikonoklástēs]
36. 36
    noun

    A wooden tool that guides strands when making rope.
37. 37
    noun

    Combed and cleaned wool ready to be spun.
38. 38
    nounobsolete

    The edge of something about to happen.

    Hee was upon the top of his marriage with Magdalaine.

    1603, Richard Knolles, The Generall Historie of the Turkes
39. 39
    noun

    The sloped upper area of a shaped jewel.
40. 40
    noundated

    Tall boots for riding horses.

    There was one pair of boots in particular — a jolly, good-tempered, hearty-looking, pair of tops, that excited our warmest regard

    1836, “Boz” [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], Sketches by “Boz,” Illustrative of Every-day Life
41. 41
    noun

    A shot that clips the ball above its middle.
42. 42
    noun

    The first swarm of bees to leave a hive to start a new colony.
43. 43
    noun

    A nickname for a company's senior enlisted Marine, who is a first or master sergeant.
44. 44
    nounPhilippines

    Green leaves and stems of plants like turnips, cooked and eaten.
45. 45
    verbarchaic

    To rise up high.

    lofty and topping mountains

    1713, W[illiam] Derham, Physico-Theology
46. 46
    verb

    To lift a pole on a ship's mast at one end so that it slopes.
47. 47
    verb

    To dye cloth again with a new color.
48. 48
    verb

    To fix a rigid strip along the back edge of a saw.
49. 49
    verbdated

    To pack a box or basket of fruit so the finest pieces lie at the top.
50. 50
    verb

    For a jumping horse, to push off the top of a fence with its back feet.
51. 51
    verb

    To make farm animals better by breeding with better animals.
52. 52
    verb

    To take off the faulty top part of a cast steel block.
53. 53
    interjectionobsolete

    An old call among tailors and dressmakers meaning it was time to trim the candle wick.