tops

[ tops ]

/ tɒps /

Informal.

adjective

ranked among the highest, as in ability, performance, comprehensiveness, or quality: His work is tops. That car is tops.

adverb

at a maximum; at most: It'll take an hour, tops. I'll give you $25 for that, tops.

noun

the tops. top¹(def 22).

Origin of tops

First recorded in 1930–35; plural of top¹

Words nearby tops

toppie, topping, topping lift, topple, toprail, tops, topsail, topsail schooner, topscore, topside, topsmelt

Definition for tops (2 of 3)

top ¹

[ top ]

/ tɒp /

noun

the highest or loftiest point or part of anything; apex; summit.

the uppermost or upper part, surface, etc., of anything.

the higher end of anything on a slope.

British.

a part considered as higher: the top of the street.
high gear of an automobile.

tops,

the part of a plant that grows above ground, especially of an edible root.
one of the tender tips of the branches or shoots of plants.

the part of anything that is first or foremost; beginning: Let's go over it from the top again.

the highest or leading place, position, rank, etc.: at the top of the class.

the highest point, pitch, or degree: to talk at the top of one's voice.

a person or thing that occupies the highest or leading position.

the best or choicest part: the top of all creation.

a covering or lid, as of a container or vehicle.

the head.

any of various outer garments for the upper body, as a blouse, shirt, or sweater: a sale on cotton tops and shorts.

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.

Chemistry. the part of a mixture under distillation that volatilizes first.

Bridge.

the best card of a suit in a player's hand.
(in duplicate bridge) the best score on a hand.

Sports.

a stroke that hits the ball above its center.
the forward spin given to the ball by such a stroke.

Baseball.

the first half of an inning.
the first three batters in the batting order.

Slang. the dominant partner in a sexual relationship or encounter, especially the penetrator in anal intercourse (opposed to bottom).

Textiles.

a cluster of textile fibers, especially 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.

Jewelry. crown(def 27).

the tops, Informal. the most outstanding person or thing in ability, favor, etc.: As a friend, she's the tops.

adjective

pertaining to, situated at, or forming the top; highest; uppermost; upper: the top shelf.

highest in degree; greatest: to pay top prices.

foremost, chief, or principal: to win top honors in a competition.

verb (used with object), topped, top·ping.

to furnish with a top; put a top on.

to be at or constitute the top of.

to reach the top of.

to rise above: The sun had topped the horizon.

to exceed in height, amount, number, etc.

to surpass, excel, or outdo: That tops everything.

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.

to surmount with something specified: to top a sundae with whipped cream.

to remove the top of; crop; prune: to top a tall tree.

to get or leap over the top of (a fence, barrier, etc.).

Chemistry. to distill off only the most volatile part of (a mixture).

Sports.

to strike (the ball) above its center, giving it a forward spin.
to make (a stroke) by hitting the ball in this manner.

to top-dress (land).

Obsolete. to have coitus with (a woman).

verb (used without object), topped, top·ping.

to rise aloft.

Verb Phrases

top off,

to climax or complete, especially 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.

top out,

to finish the top of (a structure).
to reach the highest level.

Origin of top

before 1000; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch top, German Zopf, Old Norse toppr “top”

OTHER WORDS FROM top

un·topped, adjective

Definition for tops (3 of 3)

top ²

[ top ]

/ tɒp /

noun

a toy, often inversely conical, with a point on which it is made to spin.

Origin of top

before 1100; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Frisian, dialectal Dutch top

Example sentences from the Web for tops

A former minister of energy, Yuriy Boiko, tops the Opposition Bloc's list for Sunday elections.

Ukraine’s Elections: The Battle of the Billionaires |Anna Nemtsova |October 26, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Then, the sexual revolution exploded and women left their tops in the sand altogether.

Is the Facekini the Future of Beachwear? |Justin Jones |August 23, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
It also, as it happens, is a great movie, with a 79 Metacritic score that tops every other blockbuster released this summer.

Is the Summer Blockbuster Dead? |Kevin Fallon |July 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
He tops the concoction with a shot of bourbon and delicately spoons in a couple ice cubes.

The Rise and Fall…and Rise Again of the Old-Fashioned |Allison McNearney |June 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Texas now tops New York in population, and Florida should be there by 2020.

Why New York—and Bill de Blasio—May Haunt Hillary Clinton in a 2016 Campaign |Lloyd Green |June 2, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
But it was absolutely necessary, for there was no other plan by which I could tunnel through the tops of the boxes.

The Boy Tar |Mayne Reid
This is a long arm of the sea, surrounded by high, bold mountains, clothed with very green verdure to their tops.

On an Irish Jaunting-car |Samuel G. Bayne
Cope′-stone, Cop′ing-stone, the stone which copes or tops a wall; Cop′ing, the covering course of masonry of a wall.

Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) |Various
I crossed the tops of the two houses between and went down the fire escape.

The Old Die Rich |Horace Leonard Gold
Many of the pines on this ridge were two feet in diameter, and a hundred feet high, with small clusters of limbs around the tops.

Early Western Travels 1748-1846, Volume 28 |Various

British Dictionary definitions for tops (1 of 3)

tops

/ (tɒps) slang /

noun

a person or thing of top quality

adjective

(postpositive) excellent; superb

British Dictionary definitions for tops (2 of 3)

top ¹

/ (tɒp) /

noun

the highest or uppermost part of anything the top of a hill

the most important or successful position to be at the top of the class; the top of the table

the part of a plant that is above ground carrot tops

a thing that forms or covers the uppermost part of anything, esp a lid or cap put the top on the saucepan

the highest degree or point at the top of his career

the most important person he's the top of this organization

the best or finest part of anything we've got the top of this year's graduates

the loudest or highest pitch (esp in the phrase top of one's voice)

the beginning the top of the hour; at the top of the programme

short for top gear

cards the highest card of a suit in a player's hand

sport

a stroke that hits the ball above its centre
short for topspin

a platform around the head of a lower mast of a sailing vessel, the edges of which serve to extend the topmast shrouds

chem the part of a volatile liquid mixture that distils first

a garment, esp for a woman, that extends from the shoulders to the waist or hips

the high-frequency content of an audio signal
(as modifier)this amplifier has a good top response

blow one's top informal to lose one's temper

on top of

in addition toon top of his accident, he caught pneumonia
informal in complete control of (a difficult situation, job, etc)

off the top of one's head with no previous preparation; extempore

over the top

over the parapet or leading edge of a trench
over the limit; excessive(ly); lacking restraint or a sense of proportion

the top of the morning a morning greeting regarded as characteristic of Irishmen

adjective

of, relating to, serving as, or situated on the top the top book in a pile

British informal excellent a top night out

verb tops, topping or topped (mainly tr)

to form a top on (something) to top a cake with whipped cream

to remove the top of or from to top carrots

to reach or pass the top of we topped the mountain

to be at the top of he tops the team

to exceed or surpass

slang to kill

(also intr) sport

to hit (a ball) above the centre
to make (a stroke) by hitting the ball in this way

chem to distil off (the most volatile part) from a liquid mixture

to add other colorants to (a dye) in order to modify the shade produced

top and tail

to trim off the ends of (fruit or vegetables) before cooking them
to wash a baby's face and bottom without immersion in a bath

Word Origin for top

Old English topp; related to Old High German zopf plait, Old Norse toppr tuft

British Dictionary definitions for tops (3 of 3)

top ²

/ (tɒp) /

noun

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

anything that spins or whirls around

sleep like a top to sleep very soundly

Word Origin for top

Old English, of unknown origin

Idioms and Phrases with tops

top

In addition to the idioms beginning with top

top banana
top brass
top dog
top dollar
top drawer
top off
top out
top to toe

also see:

at the top of one's lungs
big top
blow one's top
brass hat (top brass)
from head to toe (top to toe)
off the top of one's head
on top
on top of
on top of the world
over the top
sleep like a log (top)
thin on top

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

tops

adjective

adverb

noun

Origin of tops

Words nearby tops

Definition for tops (2 of 3)

noun

adjective

verb (used with object), topped, top·ping.

verb (used without object), topped, top·ping.

Verb Phrases

Origin of top

OTHER WORDS FROM top

Definition for tops (3 of 3)

noun

Origin of top

Example sentences from the Web for tops

British Dictionary definitions for tops (1 of 3)

noun

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for tops (2 of 3)

noun

adjective

verb tops, topping or topped (mainly tr)

Word Origin for top

British Dictionary definitions for tops (3 of 3)

noun

Word Origin for top

Idioms and Phrases with tops

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

tops

adjective

adverb

noun

Origin of tops

Words nearby tops

Definition for tops (2 of 3)

noun

adjective

verb (used with object), topped, top·ping.

verb (used without object), topped, top·ping.

Verb Phrases

Origin of top

OTHER WORDS FROM top

Definition for tops (3 of 3)

noun

Origin of top

Words related to tops

Example sentences from the Web for tops

British Dictionary definitions for tops (1 of 3)

noun

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for tops (2 of 3)

noun

adjective

verb tops, topping or topped (mainly tr)

Word Origin for top

British Dictionary definitions for tops (3 of 3)

noun

Word Origin for top

Idioms and Phrases with tops