top.
The highest or uppermost part of something.
Meaning & usage
The highest or uppermost part of something.
His kite got caught at the top of the tree.
The highest or uppermost part of something. The part of something that is usually highest or uppermost.
We flipped the machine onto its top.
The highest or uppermost part of something. The uppermost part of a page, picture, viewing screen, etc.
Further weather information can be found at the top of your television screen.
Headings appear at the tops of pages.
The highest or uppermost part of something. A lid, cap, or cover of a container.
Put a top on the toothpaste tube or it will go bad.
The highest or uppermost part of something. A garment worn to cover the torso.
I bought this top as it matches my jeans.
I like this pyjama top.
The highest or uppermost part of something. A framework at the top of a ship's mast to which rigging is attached.
The highest or uppermost part of something. The first half of an inning, during which the home team fields and the visiting team bats.
The highest or uppermost part of something. The crown of the head, or the hair upon it; the head.
The near end of somewhere.
The patio is at the top of my garden.
The shop is at the top of my street.
A child's spinning toy; a spinning top.
The boy was amazed at how long the top would spin.
Someone who is eminent. The chief person; the most prominent one.
Someone who is eminent. The highest rank; the most honourable position; the utmost attainable place.
to be at the top of one's class, or at the top of the school
A peak price of a security during a trading period, before it begins a downward trend.
A dominant partner in a sadomasochistic relationship or roleplay.
A dominant partner in a sadomasochistic relationship or roleplay. A dominant partner in a sexual relationship.
A person who penetrates or has a preference for penetrating during intercourse.
I prefer being a top, and my boyfriend prefers being a bottom.
Fellatio; a blowjob.
A top quark.
The utmost degree; the acme; the summit.
A plug or conical block of wood with longitudinal grooves on its surface, in which the strands of the rope slide in the process of twisting.
Highest pitch or loudest volume.
She sang at the top of her voice.
A bundle or ball of slivers of combed wool, from which the noils, or dust, have been taken out.
Eve; verge; point.
The part of a cut gem between the girdle, or circumference, and the table, or flat upper surface.
Topboots.
A stroke on the top of the ball.
A forward spin given to the ball by hitting it on or near the top; topspin.
(A table at which there is, or which has enough seats for) a group of a specified number of people eating at a restaurant.
Ellipsis of topswarm.
The First Sergeant or Master Sergeant (U.S. Marine Corps), senior enlisted man at company level.
a shoot (eaten as a vegetable).
Where this word comes from
From Middle English top, toppe, from Old English topp (“top, highest part; summit; crest; tassel, tuft; (spinning) top, ball; a tuft or ball at the highest point of anything”), from Proto-West Germanic *topp, from Proto-Germanic *tuppaz (“braid, pigtail, end”), of unknown ultimate origin. Compare typologically Latin apex (<< Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep- (“to join, attach, fasten, fit”)). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Top (“top”), Cimbrian sòpf (“braid”), Dutch top (“top, summit, peak”), German Topp (“top of a mast”), Zopf (“braid, pigtail, plait, top”), Luxembourgish Zapp (“plait, tress”), Vilamovian cöp (“braid, plait”), Yiddish צאָפּ (tsop, “braid”), Danish top (“top”), Icelandic toppur (“top”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish topp (“top, peak, summit, tip”), Italian zuffa (“brawl”). The sense of a spinning toy is separated from this, obscurely related to Dutch top and dop in this sense, against Standard Dutch tol, and French toupie having this sense.
To cover on the top or with a top.
I like my ice cream topped with chocolate sauce.
To exceed in height.
To excel, to surpass, to beat, to exceed.
Titanic was the most successful film ever until it was topped by another Cameron film, Avatar.
To be in the lead, to be at number one position (of).
Celine Dion topped the UK music charts twice in the 1990s.
To cut or remove the top (as of a tree)
I don't want to be bald, so just top my hair.
Top and tail the carrots.
To commit suicide.
Depression causes many people to top themselves.
To murder or execute.
To be the dominant partner in a BDSM relationship or roleplay.
I used to be a slave, but I ended up topping.
Giving advice to the dominant partner on how to run the BDSM session is called "topping from the bottom".
To penetrate during sexual intercourse.
To rise aloft; to be eminent; to tower.
topping passions
To excel; to rise above others.
To raise one end of (a yard, etc.), making it higher than the other.
To cover with another dye.
to top aniline black with methyl violet to prevent greening
To put a stiffening piece or back on (a saw blade).
To arrange (fruit, etc.) with the best on top.
To strike the top of (an obstacle) with the hind feet while jumping, so as to gain new impetus.
To improve (domestic animals, especially sheep) by crossing certain individuals or breeds with other superior breeds.
To cut, break, or otherwise take off the top of (a steel ingot) to remove unsound metal.
To strike (the ball) above the centre; also, to make (a stroke, etc.) by hitting the ball in this way.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English top, toppe, from Old English topp (“top, highest part; summit; crest; tassel, tuft; (spinning) top, ball; a tuft or ball at the highest point of anything”), from Proto-West Germanic *topp, from Proto-Germanic *tuppaz (“braid, pigtail, end”), of unknown ultimate origin. Compare typologically Latin apex (<< Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep- (“to join, attach, fasten, fit”)). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Top (“top”), Cimbrian sòpf (“braid”), Dutch top (“top, summit, peak”), German Topp (“top of a mast”), Zopf (“braid, pigtail, plait, top”), Luxembourgish Zapp (“plait, tress”), Vilamovian cöp (“braid, plait”), Yiddish צאָפּ (tsop, “braid”), Danish top (“top”), Icelandic toppur (“top”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish topp (“top, peak, summit, tip”), Italian zuffa (“brawl”). The sense of a spinning toy is separated from this, obscurely related to Dutch top and dop in this sense, against Standard Dutch tol, and French toupie having this sense.
Situated on the top of something.
Best; of the highest quality, fame or rank.
She's in the top dance school.
Very good, of high quality, power, or rank.
He's a top lawyer.
That is a top car.
Relating to the chest or breasts.
top surgery
Where this word comes from
From Middle English top, toppe, from Old English topp (“top, highest part; summit; crest; tassel, tuft; (spinning) top, ball; a tuft or ball at the highest point of anything”), from Proto-West Germanic *topp, from Proto-Germanic *tuppaz (“braid, pigtail, end”), of unknown ultimate origin. Compare typologically Latin apex (<< Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep- (“to join, attach, fasten, fit”)). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Top (“top”), Cimbrian sòpf (“braid”), Dutch top (“top, summit, peak”), German Topp (“top of a mast”), Zopf (“braid, pigtail, plait, top”), Luxembourgish Zapp (“plait, tress”), Vilamovian cöp (“braid, plait”), Yiddish צאָפּ (tsop, “braid”), Danish top (“top”), Icelandic toppur (“top”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish topp (“top, peak, summit, tip”), Italian zuffa (“brawl”). The sense of a spinning toy is separated from this, obscurely related to Dutch top and dop in this sense, against Standard Dutch tol, and French toupie having this sense.
Best, highest.
Our product is top-rated on all major platforms.
This is the top-performing school in the area.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English top, toppe, from Old English topp (“top, highest part; summit; crest; tassel, tuft; (spinning) top, ball; a tuft or ball at the highest point of anything”), from Proto-West Germanic *topp, from Proto-Germanic *tuppaz (“braid, pigtail, end”), of unknown ultimate origin. Compare typologically Latin apex (<< Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep- (“to join, attach, fasten, fit”)). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Top (“top”), Cimbrian sòpf (“braid”), Dutch top (“top, summit, peak”), German Topp (“top of a mast”), Zopf (“braid, pigtail, plait, top”), Luxembourgish Zapp (“plait, tress”), Vilamovian cöp (“braid, plait”), Yiddish צאָפּ (tsop, “braid”), Danish top (“top”), Icelandic toppur (“top”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish topp (“top, peak, summit, tip”), Italian zuffa (“brawl”). The sense of a spinning toy is separated from this, obscurely related to Dutch top and dop in this sense, against Standard Dutch tol, and French toupie having this sense.
The signal among tailors and seamstresses for snuffing the candle. The last of them to cry "top" had to snuff the candle.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English top, toppe, from Old English topp (“top, highest part; summit; crest; tassel, tuft; (spinning) top, ball; a tuft or ball at the highest point of anything”), from Proto-West Germanic *topp, from Proto-Germanic *tuppaz (“braid, pigtail, end”), of unknown ultimate origin. Compare typologically Latin apex (<< Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep- (“to join, attach, fasten, fit”)). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Top (“top”), Cimbrian sòpf (“braid”), Dutch top (“top, summit, peak”), German Topp (“top of a mast”), Zopf (“braid, pigtail, plait, top”), Luxembourgish Zapp (“plait, tress”), Vilamovian cöp (“braid, plait”), Yiddish צאָפּ (tsop, “braid”), Danish top (“top”), Icelandic toppur (“top”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish topp (“top, peak, summit, tip”), Italian zuffa (“brawl”). The sense of a spinning toy is separated from this, obscurely related to Dutch top and dop in this sense, against Standard Dutch tol, and French toupie having this sense.
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.