top

Universal Words noun, adjective, verb noun highest point 1 [C] the highest part or point of sth: She was standing at the top of the stairs. * Write your name at the top. * He filled my glass to the top. * Snow was falling on the mountain tops. * (BrE) the top of the milk (= the cream that rises to the top of a bottle of milk) * The wind was blowing in the tops of the trees. seealsoROOFTOP, TREETOP upper surface 2 [C] the upper flat surface of sth: Can you polish the top of the table? * a desk / bench top seealsoHARDTOP, ROLL-TOPDESK, TABLETOP highest rank 3 [sing.] the highest or most important rank or position: He's at the top of his profession. * She is determined to make it to the top (= achieve fame or success). * They finished the season at the top of the league. * We have a lot of things to do, but packing is at the top of the list. * This printer is a top of the range model (= the best it is possible to buy). * This decision came from the top. farthest point 4 [sing.] the ~ of sth the end of a street, table, etc. that is farthest away from you or from where you usually come to it: I'll meet you at the top of Thorpe Street. of pen / bottle 5 [C] a thing that you put on the end of sth to close it: Where's the top of this pen? * a bottle with a screw top clothing 6 [C] a piece of clothing worn on the upper part of the body: I need a top to go with this skirt. * a tracksuit / pyjama / bikini top seealsoCROPTOP leaves of plant 7 [C,usually pl.] the leaves of a plant that is grown mainly for its root: Remove the green tops from the carrots. amount of money 8 (tops) [pl.] (BrE, spoken) used after an amount of money to show that it is the highest possible: It couldn't have cost more than ｣50, tops. best 9 (tops) [pl.] (old-fashioned, informal) a person or thing of the best quality: Among sports superstars she's (the) tops. * In the survey the Brits come out tops for humour. toy 10 [C] a child's toy that spins on a point when it is turned round very quickly by hand or by a string: She was so confused-her mind was spinning like a top. seealsoBIGTOP IDIOMS at the top of the tree in the highest position or rank in a profession or career at the top of your voice as loudly as possible: She was screaming at the top of her voice. come out on top to win a contest or an argument: In most boardroom disputes he tends to come out on top. from top to bottom going to every part of a place in a very thorough way: We cleaned the house from top to bottom. from top to toe completely; all over: She was dressed in green from top to toe. get on top of sb to be too much for sb to manage or deal with: All this extra work is getting on top of him. get on top of sth to manage to control or deal with sth: How will I ever get on top of all this work? off the top of your head (informal) just guessing or using your memory, without taking time to think carefully or check the facts: I can't remember the name off the top of my head, but I can look it up for you. on top 1 on the highest point or surface: a cake with cream on top * Stand on top and look down. * He's going bald on top (= on the top of his head). 2 in a leading position or in control: She remained on top for the rest of the match. 3 in addition: Look, here's 30 dollars, and I'll buy you lunch on top. on top of sth/sb 1 on, over or covering sth/sb: Books were piled on top of one another. * Many people were crushed when the building collapsed on top of them. 2 in addition to sth: He gets commission on top of his salary. * On top of everything else, my car's been stolen. 3 very close to sth/sb: We were all living on top of each other in that tiny apartment. 4 in control of a situation: Do you think he's really on top of his job? * Work tends to pile up if I don't keep on top of it. on top of the world very happy or proud over the top (abbreviation OTT) (informal, especially BrE) done to an exaggerated degree and with too much effort: His performance in the movie is completely over the top. take sth from the top (informal) to go back to the beginning of a song, piece of music, speech, etc. and repeat it: OK, everybody, let's take it from the top. up top (BrE, informal) used to talk about a person's intelligence: He hasn't got much up top (= He isn't very intelligent). * It's what's up top (= how intelligent you are) that matters. moreatBLOWv., HEAPn., PILEn., THINadj. adjective [usuallybeforenoun] highest in position, rank or degree: He lives on the top floor. * She kept his passport in the top drawer. * He's one of the top players in the country. * She got the top job. * He finished top in the exam. * She got top marks for her essay. * They're top of the league. * The athletes are all on top form (= performing their best). * Welfare reform is a top priority for the government. * The car was travelling at top speed. * Prices at the top end of the market are coming down. * top quality silk verb (-pp-) [VN] be more 1 to be higher than a particular amount: Worldwide sales look set to top $1 billion. be the best 2 to be in the highest position on a list because you are the most successful, important, etc: The band topped the charts for five weeks with their first single. put on top 3 [usuallypassive] ~ sth (with sth) to put sth on the top of sth else: fruit salad topped with cream * The chapel was topped by a dome of white marble. say / do sth better 4 to say or do sth that is better, funnier, more impressive, etc. than sth that sb else has said or done in the past: I'm afraid the other company has topped your offer (= offered more money). * He has a house in five European capitals-how do you top that? kill yourself 5 ~ yourself (BrE, informal) to kill yourself deliberately climb hill 6 (literary) to reach the highest point of a hill, etc. IDIOMS to top / cap it all (spoken) used to introduce the final piece of information that is worse than the other bad things that you have just mentioned: And then, to top it all, it started to rain! top and tail sth (BrE) to cut the top and bottom parts off fruit and vegetables to prepare them to be cooked or eaten PHRASALVERBS top sth<->off (with sth) to complete sth successfully by doing or adding one final thing: The outfit was topped off with a large black hat. top out (at sth) if sth tops out at a particular price, speed, etc. it does not rise any higher: Inflation topped out at 12%. top sth<->up (especially BrE) 1 to fill a container that already has some liquid in it with more liquid: I want to top the car up with oil before we set off. * I want to top the oil up before we set off. * Can I top your glass up (= give you some more to drink)? * Fill the glass half full with beer and top it up with lemonade. 2 to increase the amount of sth to the level you want or need: She relies on tips to top up her wages. * Sunbeds are the ideal way to keep your tan topped up. relatednounTOP-UP top sb up (especially BrE) to fill sb's glass or cup with sth more to drink: Can I top you up? relatednounTOP-UP