BOTTOM


Meaning of BOTTOM in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ bɒtəm ]

( bottoms, bottoming, bottomed)

Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.

1.

The bottom of something is the lowest or deepest part of it.

He sat at the bottom of the stairs...

Answers can be found at the bottom of page 8.

...the bottom of the sea.

≠ top

N-COUNT : usu the N in sing , oft N of n

2.

The bottom thing or layer in a series of things or layers is the lowest one.

There’s an extra duvet in the bottom drawer of the cupboard.

≠ top

ADJ : ADJ n

3.

The bottom of an object is the flat surface at its lowest point. You can also refer to the inside or outside of this surface as the bottom .

Spread the onion slices on the bottom of the dish.

...the bottom of their shoes.

...a suitcase with a false bottom.

= base

N-COUNT : usu the N in sing , usu with supp

4.

If you say that the bottom has dropped or fallen out of a market or industry, you mean that people have stopped buying the products it sells. ( BUSINESS, JOURNALISM )

The bottom had fallen out of the city’s property market.

N-SING : the N

5.

The bottom of a street or garden is the end farthest away from you or from your house. ( BRIT; in AM, usually use end )

...the Cathedral at the bottom of the street.

= end

N-SING : the N , usu N of n

6.

The bottom of a table is the end farthest away from where you are sitting. The bottom of a bed is the end where you usually rest your feet. ( BRIT; in AM, usually use end )

Malone sat down on the bottom of the bed.

= end

N-SING : the N , usu N of n

7.

The bottom of an organization or career structure is the lowest level in it, where new employees often start.

He had worked in the theatre for many years, starting at the bottom.

...a contract researcher at the bottom of the pay scale.

≠ top

N-SING : the N , oft N of n

8.

If someone is bottom or at the bottom in a survey, test, or league their performance is worse than that of all the other people involved.

He was always bottom of the class...

The team is close to bottom of the League.

≠ top

N-SING : the N , also no det

9.

Your bottom is the part of your body that you sit on.

If there was one thing she could change about her body it would be her bottom.

N-COUNT : oft poss N

10.

The lower part of a bikini, tracksuit, or pair of pyjamas can be referred to as the bottoms or the bottom .

She wore blue tracksuit bottoms.

...a skimpy bikini bottom.

≠ top

N-COUNT : usu pl , oft n N

11.

see also -bottomed , rock bottom

12.

You use at bottom to emphasize that you are stating what you think is the real nature of something or the real truth about a situation.

The two systems are, at bottom, conceptual models...

At bottom, such an attitude is born not of concern for your welfare, but out of fear of losing you.

PHRASE : PHR with cl [ emphasis ]

13.

If something is at the bottom of a problem or unpleasant situation, it is the real cause of it.

Often I find that anger and resentment are at the bottom of the problem.

PHRASE : PHR n

14.

You can say that you mean something from the bottom of your heart to emphasize that you mean it very sincerely.

I’m happy, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart...

I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart.

PHRASE : heart inflects , PHR after v , PHR with cl [ emphasis ]

15.

If you want to get to the bottom of a problem, you want to solve it by finding out its real cause.

I have to get to the bottom of this mess.

PHRASE : V inflects , PHR n

16.

to scrape the bottom of the barrel: see barrel

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Английский словарь Коллинз COBUILD для изучающих язык на продвинутом уровне.