big top noun

A large circular tent used for circus performances

big tree noun (N American)

The giant redwood

big wheel noun

A Ferris wheel

big White Chief noun

1. See big Daddy above
2. An important person (informal)

bigˈwig or big shot noun (informal)

A powerful person, a person of some importance

be big on (informal)

1. To do a lot of, be strong in (a particular area of work, etc)
2. To be enthusiastic about

big up (slang)

To express approval and respect for

go over big (with) (informal)

To impress greatly

in a big way

1. To a large extent
2. Vigorously, enthusiastically

that's big of him, etc (usu ironic)

That action, etc is generous on his, etc part

the Big Apple

(also the Apple) (informal) New York City

the Big C (informal)

Cancer

the Big Smoke see under smoke

too big for one's boots or breeches

Conceited, self-important

what's the big idea?

What on earth is going on?

top¹ /top/

noun

1. The highest or uppermost part or place
2. The highest or most important position (eg in a profession, company, salary scale, scale of authority or privilege, etc)
3. The person occupying this position
4. The upper edge or surface
5. A lid or cover
6. A garment for the upper part of a person's (esp a woman's or child's) body
7. The highest or loudest degree of pitch
8. (in pl; with the) the very best person or thing (informal)
9. Top gear
10. (esp in pl) the part of a root vegetable that is above the ground
11. A handful or bundle of flax, wool, etc, for spinning
12. A circus tent (slang; big top the main tent)
13. A topsail
14. A small platform at the head of the lower mast
15. A crest or tuft (nautical)
16. A trench parapet
17. A top boot (esp in pl)
18. Topspin
19. The earliest part (as in the Irish greeting top of the morning)
20. (in pl) in oil-refining, the first part of a volatile mixture to come off in the distillation process
21. A stroke that hits the upper part of the ball (golf)

adjective

1. Highest
2. Best
3. Most important, able, etc
4. Very good (informal)

transitive verb (toppˈing; topped)

1. To cover on the top
2. To tip
3. To rise above
4. To surpass
5. To reach the top of
6. To surmount
7. To be on or at the top of
8. To take off the top of
9. To hit (the ball) on the upper part, so that it only travels a short distance along the ground (golf)
10. To kill (slang)
11. (eg of a male animal) to cover (Shakespeare)

intransitive verb

To finish up, round off (with off or up)

topˈfull adjective (Shakespeare)

Full to the top or brim

topˈless adjective

1. Without a top
2. (of women's clothing) leaving the breasts uncovered
3. (of a woman) with bare breasts
4. (of a place, entertainment, etc) that features women with bare breasts
5. Without superior (Shakespeare)

topˈlessness noun

topˈmost /-mōst, -məst/ adjective

1. Uppermost
2. Highest

topped adjective

toppˈer noun

1. A person or thing that tops in any sense
2. A person who excels at anything, a good sort (informal)
3. A top hat (informal)

toppˈing noun

1. The act of a person or thing that tops
2. (in pl) pieces cut from the top
3. A sauce or dressing to go over food

adjective

1. Surpassing, pre-eminent
2. Excellent (old slang)
3. Arrogant (US)

toppˈingly adverb

toppˈy adjective (informal)

1. (of audio reproduction) dominated by high-frequency sounds
2. (of prices, etc) at the highest level known or expected

tops adjective (informal)

Best, excellent

adverb (informal)

At most, as a maximum

top banana see under banana

top boot noun

A knee-length boot with a showy band of leather round the top

topˈ-booted adjective

Wearing top boots

top brass see under brass

topˈcoat noun

1. An overcoat
2. An outer coat of paint

top dead centre noun

(of a reciprocating engine or pump) the piston position at the beginning of the outstroke, ie when the crank pin is nearest to the cylinder (also inner dead centre)

top dog noun (informal)

The winner, leader or dominant person

top-downˈ adjective

Organized or controlled from the top, by the most important or powerful people involved

top drawer noun

The highest level, esp of society (out of the top drawer, belonging to this social rank)

top-drawˈer adjective

topˈ-dress transitive verb

top dressing noun

1. Manure or fertilizer applied to the surface of soil and not dug in
2. The application of it
3. Any superficial covering or treatment (figurative)

topˈ-end adjective

Best or most expensive

topˈ-flight adjective

Excellent, superior, of the highest class or quality

topgallant /tə-, top-galˈənt/ adjective

Above the topmast and topsail and below the royal mast

noun

A topgallant mast or sail, or the topgallant rigging

top gear noun

The highest gear in a motor vehicle or on a bicycle

top hamper noun

Unnecessary weight on a ship's upper deck

top hat noun

A man's tall cylindrical hat with a narrow brim, made of silk plush

adjective

1. (with hyphen) upper class
2. Designed to benefit high executives, or the rich, as in top-hat budget, top-hat (insurance) policy

top-heavˈily adverb

top-heavˈiness noun

top-heavˈy adjective

1. Having the upper part too heavy or large for the lower
2. (eg of an organization or company) with too many administrative staff or executives
3. (of a company) overcapitalized
4. Tipsy

top-holeˈ adjective (old slang)

Excellent, first-class (also interjection)

topˈknot noun

1. A crest, tuft of hair, often a piece of added hair, or knot of ribbons, etc, on the top of the head
2. The head (slang)
3. A small fish (of several species) related to the turbot

topˈknotted adjective

topˈ-level adjective

1. At the highest level
2. Involving people from this level

topˈline adjective

Important enough to be mentioned in a headline

intransitive verb

1. To feature in a headline
2. To star, appear as the principal performer

toplinˈer noun

1. A person who is topline
2. A principal performer, a star

topˈloftical or topˈlofty adjective (facetious)

1. High and mighty, haughty
2. Stuck-up

topˈloftily adverb

topˈloftiness noun

topˈmaker noun

A person who supplies combed wool for spinning

topˈmaking noun

topˈman noun

1. A seaman stationed in the topgallant or topsail rigging
2. A top-sawyer

topˈmast /-məst, -mäst/ noun

The second mast, or that immediately above the lower mast

topˈminnow noun

A small, surface-feeding, soft-rayed fish belonging to any of various species, either viviparous (of the family Cyprinodontidae) or egg-laying (of the family Poeciliidae) (also called mosquito fish; see also killifish under kill²)

top-notchˈ adjective (informal)

Excellent, first-rate

top-notchˈer noun

topped crude noun

Crude oil after some of its lighter constituents have been removed by distillation

topping lift noun (nautical)

Tackle running from the masthead for raising booms

toppˈing-out see top out below.

topˈ-proud adjective (Shakespeare)

Proud in the highest degree

top quark noun (physics)

A particle believed to be one of the fundamental constituents of nuclear matter

topˈsail /-sl, -sāl/ noun

A sail across the topmast

top-sawˈyer noun

1. The upper sawyer in a sawpit
2. A superior, a person of importance (informal)

top secret adjective

Profoundly secret and of the highest importance

topˈ-shelf adjective

1. (of a publication) too explicitly pornographic to be displayed for sale at eye level
2. Of the latest design (Aust)

topˈside noun

1. The upper part
2. The outer part of a round of beef
3. A lean cut of beef from the rump
4. The part of an oil rig, etc above the deck
5. (also in pl) the part of the outer surface of a vessel above the waterline

adverb

On or towards the top

top-sliceˈ transitive verb

To subtract a sum of money from (a fund) before any other transactions are made, usu to finance a specific project

topsˈman noun

1. A head drover, a foreman (Scot)
2. A hangman (slang)

topˈsoil noun

The upper part or surface of the soil

topˈsoiling noun

Removal of the topsoil

topˈspin noun

1. Spin imparted to a ball by hitting it sharply on the upper half with a forward and upward stroke to make it travel higher, further, or more quickly
2. Extra, not always reliable or well-attested, information (press sl)

top stone noun

A stone placed on the top, or forming the top

top table noun

The place assigned to the most important people at a meeting or banquet

topˈ-up noun

An amount added to bring something back up to a reasonable or the original level

top-up, topping-up see also top up below.

top-up loan noun

A loan to bring a mortgage, grant, etc up to the required amount

at the top of one's voice

At one's loudest

from top to toe

1. Completely
2. From head to foot

go over the top

1. To go over the front of a trench and attack the enemy
2. To take sudden action after hesitation
3. To exceed the bounds of reason, decorum, etc

in the top flight

In the highest class

off the top of one's head

Without previous thought or preparation

on top of

1. In control
2. In addition to

on top of the world

1. Near the north pole
2. On a high mountain
3. Exuberant, in the very best of spirits

over the top (informal)

Too far, extreme, to an excess, to, at or of an unreasonable or unnecessary degree

the tops (informal)

The very best

top and tail

1. To wash (a baby's) face and buttocks
2. To prepare (fruit or vegetables, eg carrots) by removing the top and bottom parts

top off

To finish decoratively or memorably

top one's part (theatre)

To excel in playing one's part

top out

1. To finish (a building) by putting on the top or highest course
2. (of eg prices) to reach the highest level (and go no further) (toppˈing-out noun)

top the bill

To be the most important attraction in a programme of entertainment, etc

top up

1. To fill up, eg with fuel oil, alcohol
2. To bring (eg a wage) up to a generally accepted or satisfactory level (topˈ-up or toppˈing-up noun)
3. (of a ship's yards) to place at an angle to the deck (nautical)