top

English Online Dictionary. What means top‎? What does top mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English top, toppe, from Old English top (“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.

Cognate with Scots tap (“top”), North Frisian top, tap, tup (“top”), Saterland Frisian Top (“top”), West Frisian top (“top”), Dutch top (“top, summit, peak”), Low German Topp (“top”), German Zopf (“braid, pigtail, plait, top”), Swedish topp (“top, peak, summit, tip”), Icelandic toppur (“top”).

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.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /tɒp/, [tʰɒp]
• (General American) IPA^(key): /tɑp/, [tʰɑp]
• Rhymes: -ɒp

Noun

top (countable and uncountable, plural tops)

1. The highest or uppermost part of something.

   Synonyms: peak, summit, overside

   Antonyms: bottom, base, underside

   1. (irrespective of present orientation) The part of something that is usually highest or uppermost.

   2. The uppermost part of a page, picture, viewing screen, etc.

      Synonym: (of a page) head

      Antonym: (of a page) foot

   3. A lid, cap, or cover of a container.

      Synonyms: cap, coverlid

   4. A garment worn to cover the torso.

      Antonym: bottom

   5. A framework at the top of a ship's mast to which rigging is attached.
   6. (baseball) The first half of an inning, during which the home team fields and the visiting team bats.
   7. (archaic) The crown of the head, or the hair upon it; the head.
2. The near end of somewhere.

4. A child's spinning toy; a spinning top.

5. Someone who is eminent.
   1. (archaic) The chief person; the most prominent one.
   2. The highest rank; the most honourable position; the utmost attainable place.
7. (BDSM) A dominant partner in a sadomasochistic relationship or roleplay.

   Synonyms: (usually male) dom, dominant, (female) domme, dominatrix

   Coordinate terms: bottom, sub

   1. (broadly, by extension) A dominant partner in a sexual relationship.
8. (LGBTQ slang) A person who penetrates or has a preference for penetrating during intercourse.

   Synonym: (US) pitcher

   Coordinate term: bottom

10. (slang, vulgar, African-American Vernacular, MLE, MTE) Oral stimulation of the male member; a blowjob.

    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:oral sex
11. (particle physics) A top quark.

    Hypernym: flavor

12. The utmost degree; the acme; the summit.
    • June 18 1714, Alexander Pope, letter to Jonathan Swift

      The top of my own ambition is to contribute to that work.

13. (ropemaking) 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.
14. (sound) Highest pitch or loudest volume.
15. (wool manufacture) A bundle or ball of slivers of combed wool, from which the noils, or dust, have been taken out.
16. (obsolete, except in one sense of phrase on top of) Eve; verge; point.
17. The part of a cut gem between the girdle, or circumference, and the table, or flat upper surface.
18. (in the plural, slang, dated) Topboots.
19. (golf, cue sports, racquet sports) A stroke on the top of the ball.
20. (golf, cue sports, racquet sports) A forward spin given to the ball by hitting it on or near the top; topspin.
22. (in restaurants, preceded by a number) (A table at which there is, or which has enough seats for) a group of a specified number of people eating at a restaurant.
23. Short for topswarm.
24. (military) The First Sergeant or Master Sergeant (U.S. Marine Corps), senior enlisted man at company level.
25. (Philippines, usually in the plural) a shoot (eaten as a vegetable).

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

top (third-person singular simple present tops, present participle topping, simple past and past participle topped)

1. To cover on the top or with a top.

3. To excel, to surpass, to beat, to exceed.

   Synonyms: beat, better, best, exceed; see also Thesaurus:exceed
4. To be in the lead, to be at number one position (of).
5. To cut or remove the top (as of a tree)
6. (British, slang, reflexive) To commit suicide.

8. (British, slang, rare, chiefly archaic) To murder or execute.

   Synonyms: kill, murder, slaughter, slay; see also Thesaurus:kill

9. (BDSM) To be the dominant partner in a BDSM relationship or roleplay.

10. (LGBTQ slang, transitive, intransitive) To penetrate during intercourse.
11. (archaic) To rise aloft; to be eminent; to tower.
    • , Book II, Chapter XXI

      influenced by that topping uneasiness

12. (archaic) To excel; to rise above others.
13. (nautical) To raise one end of (a yard, etc.), making it higher than the other.
14. (dyeing) To cover with another dye.

15. To put a stiffening piece or back on (a saw blade).
16. (slang, dated) To arrange (fruit, etc.) with the best on top.
17. (of a horse) To strike the top of (an obstacle) with the hind feet while jumping, so as to gain new impetus.
18. To improve (domestic animals, especially sheep) by crossing certain individuals or breeds with other superior breeds.
19. To cut, break, or otherwise take off the top of (a steel ingot) to remove unsound metal.
20. (golf) To strike (the ball) above the centre; also, to make (a stroke, etc.) by hitting the ball in this way.

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

top (not comparable)

1. Situated on the top of something.
2. (informal) Best; of the highest quality or rank.

3. (informal) Very good, of high quality, power, or rank.

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

top (not comparable)

1. Best, highest.

Synonyms

• first

See also

• top-dimensional (contains the word "top", but unrelated to the above etymologies)
• topple

References

Anagrams

• OPT, OPt, OTP, PTO, TPO, oPt, opt, opt., pot

Albanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish طوپ (top).

Noun

top m (plural topa, definite topi, definite plural topat)

1. ball

   Synonym: gogë

2. (in the plural) slang for testicles

Inflection

Azerbaijani

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Turkic *top.

Pronunciation

Noun

top (definite accusative topu, plural toplar)

1. ball
2. cannon
3. (chess) rook
4. roll (of paper or cloth)
5. pile, stack
6. bale, pack

Declension

Derived terms

See also

Baure

Noun

top

1. fog

Crimean Tatar

Noun

top (accusative [please provide], plural [please provide])

1. ball
2. lump
3. cannon

Declension

Derived terms

• babaytop
• toplaşuv
• topçu
• top qundağı

References

• Mirjejev, V. A., Usejinov, S. M. (2002) Ukrajinsʹko-krymsʹkotatarsʹkyj slovnyk [Ukrainian – Crimean Tatar Dictionary]‎^[12], Simferopol: Dolya, →ISBN

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈtop]

Verb

top

1. second-person singular imperative of topit

Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse toppr, from Proto-Germanic *tuppaz.

Noun

top c (singular definite toppen, plural indefinite toppe)

1. summit, peak
2. hairpiece
3. top (uppermost part, lid, cap, cover, garment worn to cover the torso, child’s spinning toy)

Inflection

Derived terms

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɔp/
• Hyphenation: top
• Rhymes: -ɔp

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch top, topp, from Old Dutch *topp, *top, from Proto-West Germanic *topp, from Proto-Germanic *tuppaz. The sexual sense is borrowed from English top.

Noun

top m (plural toppen, diminutive topje n)

1. top (uppermost part)
2. (figurative) apex
3. summit, peak (high point of a mountain or object)
4. summit, highest-level assembly
5. top (piece of women's clothing)
6. (LGBTQ and BDSM slang) top (active or dominant sexual partner)

   Coordinate term: bottom

Derived terms

Descendants

• Negerhollands: top

Etymology 2

Either derived from the noun at Etymology 1, or borrowed from English top.

Adjective

top

1. (colloquial) great, very good

Derived terms

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

top

1. (denominal) inflection of toppen:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
   3. imperative

Anagrams

• pot

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English top.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɔp/

Noun

top m (plural tops)

1. top; shirt or garment covering the upper body
2. a signalling sound; beep

Adjective

top (feminine toppe, masculine plural tops, feminine plural toppes)

1. top; best; highest in rank; maximum
2. excellent; brilliant
3. (gay slang) top (penetrator)

   Synonym: actif

Antonyms

• bottom

Adverb

top

1. at most; maximum

Further reading

• “top”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɔp/

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English top.

Adjective

top (not comparable)

1. (colloquial) top (of the highest quality or rank)

   hopp oder top ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Etymology 2

Interjection

top

1. Alternative form of topp

Further reading

• “top” in Duden online
• “top” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Italian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English top.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɔp/
• Rhymes: -ɔp
• Hyphenation: tòp

Noun

top m (invariable)

1. (woman's dressing, garment) top

References

Karaim

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Turkic *top. Cognate with Turkish, Azerbaijani, and Crimean Tatar top, Uzbek to‘p, Kazakh доп (dop), Southern Altai топ (top, “round thing”), etc.

Noun

top

1. ball

References

N. A. Baskakov, S.M. Šapšala, editor (1973), “top”, in Karaimsko-Russko-Polʹskij Slovarʹ [Karaim-Russian-Polish Dictionary], Moscow: Moskva, →ISBN

Kashubian

Etymology

Borrowed from German Topf.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɔp/
• Rhymes: -ɔp
• Syllabification: top

Noun

top m inan (diminutive topk or topùszk)

1. Synonym of kòcelnik

Further reading

• Eùgeniusz Gòłąbk (2011) “czajnik”, in Słownik Polsko-Kaszubski / Słowôrz Pòlskò-Kaszëbsczi‎^[14]

Khalaj

Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *top.

Pronunciation

• (Xarrâbî) IPA^(key): [top], [tŭɔ(ˑ)p]

Numeral

top (definite accusative topı, plural toplar)

1. ball

Declension

References

• Doerfer, Gerhard (1980) Wörterbuch des Chaladsch (Dialekt von Charrab) [Khalaj dictionary] (in German), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó

Latvian

Verb

top

1. third-person singular/plural present indicative of tapt
2. (with the particle lai) third-person singular imperative of tapt
3. (with the particle lai) third-person plural imperative of tapt

Middle English

Alternative forms

• toppe, topp, tope, toop

Etymology

From Old English topp, toppa, from Proto-West Germanic *topp.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɔp/, /tɔːp/

Noun

top (plural toppes)

1. The summit or top of something, especially a vertical object:
   1. The peak of a mountain or other landform.
   2. The roof or ceil of a house; the top of a fence.
   3. A lid or cap; a removable top or topping.
   4. The head, especially its top or the hair on its top.
2. A small deck at the dop of a ship's sails.
3. A cluster or bunch of fibres; a tassel.
4. A top or whirligig (spinning toy)
5. The start or introduction of something.
6. (rare) The tip or end of something; that which something terminates in.

Derived terms

• toppen
• toppyng

Descendants

• English: top
  • → French: top
  • → German: Top
  • → Vietnamese: tốp
• Scots: tap

References

• “top, n.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-08-12.
• “top, n.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-08-12.

Mopan Maya

Adverb

top

1. very

References

• Hofling, Charles Andrew (2011). Mopan Maya–Spanish–English Dictionary, University of Utah Press.

Northern Kurdish

Etymology

Borrowed from Turkish top, from Ottoman Turkish طوپ (top), from Proto-Turkic *top (“round thing”).

Noun

top f

1. ball (usually spherical object used for playing games)
2. cannon

Old French

Alternative forms

• tup, tupe, tope, toup

Etymology

From Frankish *topp.

Noun

top oblique singular, m (oblique plural tos, nominative singular tos, nominative plural top)

1. hair on top of one's head, forelock
2. top, highest point
3. tuft of flax placed on distaff
4. top (ship)

Descendants

• → Galician: tope
• → Spanish: tope
• → Portuguese: topo
• ⇒ Old French: toupet
  • → Old Galician-Portuguese: topete
    • Galician: topete
    • Portuguese: topete
  • Middle French: toupet, topet
    • French: toupet (see there for further descendants)
  • Norman: toupet, tupé
  • → Middle English: topet
• ⇒? Old French: topoie, toupie, tourpe, tourpie
  • Middle French: toupie
    • French: toupie

References

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (top)
• tup on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɔp/
• Rhymes: -ɔp
• Syllabification: top

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English top. Doublet of tupet.

Noun

top m inan

1. (sailing) top (the upper end of a mast)
2. top (garment worn to cover the torso)

Declension

Adjective

top (not comparable, no derived adverb)

1. (slang) top notch (very good; of the highest level or quality)

   Synonyms: modny, popularny

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

top

1. second-person singular imperative of topić

Further reading

• top I in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• top II in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• top in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English top.

Pronunciation

• Homophone: tope

Adjective

top (invariable)

1. (colloquial) cool, awesome
2. (colloquial) top, excellent, high-quality

   Synonym: top de linha

Derived terms

Noun

top m (plural tops)

1. top (garment worn to cover the torso)

Related terms

Further reading

• “top”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2024
• “top”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2024

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtop/
• Rhymes: -op

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Turkish top.

Noun

top n (plural topuri)

1. ream (of paper)
2. cotton pack

Declension

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English top.

Noun

top n (plural topuri)

1. top list, chart, ranking
2. top (garment worn to cover the torso)

Declension

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish طوپ (top).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tôp/

Noun

tȍp m (Cyrillic spelling то̏п)

1. cannon
2. (chess) rook

Declension

See also

Slovene

Etymology 1

From Proto-Slavic *tǫpъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɔ́p/

Adjective

tȍp (comparative bȍlj tȍp, superlative nȁjbolj tȍp)

1. blunt

Inflection

This adjective needs an inflection-table template.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish طوپ (top).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɔ́p/

Noun

tȍp m inan

1. cannon

Inflection

Further reading

• “top”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU (in Slovene), 2014–2024

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from English top.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtop/ [ˈt̪op]
• Rhymes: -op
• Syllabification: top

Noun

top m (plural tops)

1. top (first positions of a ranking)
2. top (female clothing)

Derived terms

Adjective

top m or f (masculine and feminine plural tops)

1. (proscribed) top (situated on the top of something)

   Synonym: mejor

2. (proscribed) top (best; of the highest quality or rank)

   Synonym: el mejor

3. (proscribed) top (very good, of high quality)

   Synonym: muy bueno

References

• “top” in Diccionario panhispánico de dudas, segunda edición, Real Academia Española, 2023. →ISBN

Further reading

• “top”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2023 November 28

Tocharian A

Etymology

Compare Tocharian B taupe.

Noun

top

1. mine (place where ore is extracted)

Turkish

Etymology

Inherited from Ottoman Turkish طوپ (top), from Proto-Turkic *top (“round thing”). Cognate with Azerbaijani top, Uzbek to‘p, Uyghur توپ (top), Kazakh доп (dop) etc.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /top/

Noun

top (definite accusative topu, plural toplar)

1. ball
2. cannon
3. (slang, derogatory) gay

Declension

Related terms

Volapük

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek τόπος (tópos, “place”).

Noun

top (nominative plural tops)

1. place

Declension

Related terms

• topäd

Welsh

Etymology

Borrowed from English top.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɔp/
• Rhymes: -ɔp

Noun

top m (plural topiau)

1. top (upper part of something)

Derived terms

• di-dop
• topyn

Mutation

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “top”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies