Noun
-
a canvas tent to house the audience at a circus performance
"he was afraid of a fire in the circus tent"
"they had the big top up in less than an hour"
- circus tent - big top - round top -
a garment (especially for women) that extends from the shoulders to the waist or hips
"he stared as she buttoned her top"
-
covering for a hole (especially a hole in the top of a container)
"he removed the top of the carton"
"he couldn't get the top off of the bottle"
"put the cover back on the kettle"
-
a conical child's plaything tapering to a steel point on which it can be made to spin
"he got a bright red top and string for his birthday"
- spinning top -
platform surrounding the head of a lower mast
-
the greatest possible intensity
"he screamed at the top of his lungs"
-
the highest level or degree attainable
the highest stage of development
"his landscapes were deemed the acme of beauty"
"the artist's gifts are at their acme"
"at the height of her career"
"the peak of perfection"
"summer was at its peak"
"...catapulted Einstein to the pinnacle of fame"
"the summit of his ambition"
"so many highest superlatives achieved by man"
"at the top of his profession"
-
the first half of an inning
while the visiting team is at bat
"a relief pitcher took over in the top of the fifth"
- top of the inning -
the top or extreme point of something (usually a mountain or hill)
"the view from the peak was magnificent"
"they clambered to the tip of Monadnock"
"the region is a few molecules wide at the summit"
-
the highest or uppermost side of anything
"put your books on top of the desk"
"only the top side of the box was painted"
- top side - upper side -
the upper part of anything
"the mower cuts off the tops of the grass"
"the title should be written at the top of the first page"
Verb
-
finish up or conclude
"They topped off their dinner with a cognac"
"top the evening with champagne"
- top off -
be the culminating event
"The speech crowned the meeting"
-
cut the top off
"top trees and bushes"
-
strike (the top part of a ball in golf, baseball, or pool) giving it a forward spin
-
reach or ascend the top of
"The hikers topped the mountain just before noon"
-
provide with a top or finish the top (of a structure)
"the towers were topped with conical roofs"
- top out -
be ahead of others
be the first
"she topped her class every year"
-
be at the top of or constitute the top or highest point
"A star tops the Christmas Tree"
-
pass by, over, or under without making contact
"the balloon cleared the tree tops"
-
be superior or better than some standard
"She exceeded our expectations"
"She topped her performance of last year"
- go past
Adjective
-
situated at the top or highest position
"the top shelf"