(~s, ~ping, ~ped)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
The ~ of something is its highest point or part.
I waited at the ~ of the stairs.
...the picture at the ~ of the page...
Bake the biscuits for 20-25 minutes, until the ~s are lightly browned.
? bottom
N-COUNT: usu the N in sing, oft N of n
•
Top is also an adjective.
...the ~ corner of his newspaper.
? bottom
ADJ: ADJ n
2.
The ~ thing or layer in a series of things or layers is the highest one.
I can’t reach the ~ shelf...
Our new flat was on the ~ floor...
? bottom
ADJ: ADJ n
3.
The ~ of something such as a bottle, jar, or tube is a cap, lid, or other device that fits or screws onto one end of it.
...the plastic ~s from aerosol containers.
...a bottle ~.
N-COUNT
4.
The ~ of a street, garden, bed, or table is the end of it that is farthest away from where you usually enter it or from where you are. (mainly BRIT)
...a little shop at the ~ of the street...
He moved to the empty chair at the ~ of the table.
= end, head
N-SING: the N, oft N of n
•
Top is also an adjective.
...the hill near the ~ end of the garden.
...the ~ corridor of the main building.
ADJ: ADJ n
5.
A ~ is a piece of clothing that you wear on the upper half of your body, for example a blouse or shirt. (INFORMAL)
Look at my new ~.
N-COUNT
6.
You can use ~ to indicate that something or someone is at the highest level of a scale or measurement.
The vehicles have a ~ speed of 80 kilometres per hour.
...a ~-ranking Saudi officer.
? bottom
ADJ: ADJ n
7.
The ~ of an organization or career structure is the highest level in it.
We started from the bottom and we had to work our way up to the ~.
...his dramatic rise to the ~ of the military hierarchy.
? bottom
N-SING: the N, oft N of n
•
Top is also an adjective.
I need to have the ~ people in this company pull together.
ADJ: ADJ n
8.
You can use ~ to describe the most important or famous people or things in a particular area of work or activity.
The President met this afternoon with his ~ military advisers...
ADJ: ADJ n
9.
If someone is at the ~ of a table or league or is the ~ of the table or league, their performance is better than that of all the other people involved.
The United States will be at the ~ of the medal table...
Labour was ~ of the poll with forty-six percent.
? bottom
N-SING: the N
•
Top is also an adjective.
I usually came ~ in English.
ADJ
10.
You can use ~ to indicate that something is the first thing you are going to do, because you consider it to be the most important.
Cleaning up the water supply is their ~ priority...
On arrival, a six-course meal was ~ of the agenda.
ADJ: oft ADJ of n
11.
You can use ~ to indicate that someone does a particular thing more times than anyone else or that something is chosen more times than anything else.
He was Italy’s ~ scorer during the World Cup matches...
ADJ: ADJ n
12.
To ~ a list means to be mentioned or chosen more times than anyone or anything else. (JOURNALISM)
It was the first time a Japanese manufacturer had ~ped the list for imported vehicles...
VERB: V n
13.
If something ~s a particular amount, it is larger than that amount. (JOURNALISM)
Imports ~ped ?10 billion last month...
VERB: V n
14.
If something is ~ped with something, it has that thing as its highest part.
The holiest of their chapels are ~ped with gilded roofs...
To serve, ~ the fish with the cooked leeks.
VERB: be V-ed with/by n, V n with n, also V n
-~ped
...the glass-~ped table.
COMB in ADJ
15.
If you ~ a story, remark, or action, you follow it with a better or more impressive one.
How are you going to ~ that?
VERB: V n
16.
You can use ~s after mentioning a quantity, to say that it is the maximum possible. (INFORMAL)
The publisher expected the book to sell 1,500 copies, ~s...
= max
ADV: num ADV
17.
see also ~ping
18.
If someone blows their ~, they become very angry about something. (INFORMAL)
He blew his ~ after airport officials refused to let him on a plane.
PHRASE: V inflects
19.
If a person, organization, or country comes out on ~, they are more successful than the others that they have been competing with.
The only way to come out on ~ is to adopt a different approach.
PHRASE: V inflects
20.
If someone pays ~ dollar for something, they pay the highest possible price for it. (INFORMAL)
People will always pay ~ dollar for something exclusive.
PHRASE: v PHR, PHR n
21.
If you say that you clean, tidy, or examine something from ~ to bottom, you are emphasizing that you do it completely and thoroughly.
She would clean the house from ~ to bottom.
PHRASE: PHR after v emphasis
22.
You can use from ~ to toe to emphasize that the whole of someone’s body is covered or dressed in a particular thing or type of clothing.
They were sensibly dressed from ~ to toe in rain gear.
PHRASE: PHR after v emphasis
23.
When something gets on ~ of you, it makes you feel unhappy or depressed because it is very difficult or worrying, or because it involves more work than you can manage.
Things have been getting on ~ of me lately.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n
24.
If you say something off the ~ of your head, you say it without thinking about it much before you speak, especially because you do not have enough time.
It was the best I could think of off the ~ of my head.
PHRASE: PHR after v, PHR with cl
25.
If one thing is on ~ of another, it is placed over it or on its highest part.
...the vacuum flask that was resting on ~ of the stove.
PHRASE: v-link PHR, PHR after v, oft PHR of n
26.
You can use on ~ or on ~ of to indicate that a particular problem exists in addition to a number of other problems.
An extra 700 jobs are being cut on ~ of the 2,000 that were lost last year.
PHRASE
27.
You say that someone is on ~ when they have reached the most important position in an organization or business.
How does he stay on ~, 17 years after becoming foreign minister?
PHRASE: usu v-link PHR
28.
If you are on ~ of or get on ~ of something that you are doing, you are dealing with it successfully.
...the government’s inability to get on ~ of the situation.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n
29.
If you say that you feel on ~ of the world, you are emphasizing that you feel extremely happy and healthy.
Two months before she gave birth to Jason she left work feeling on ~ of the world.
PHRASE: usu v-link PHR emphasis
30.
If one thing is over the ~ of another, it is placed over it so that it is completely covering it.
I have overcome this problem by placing a sheet of polythene over the ~ of the container...
PHRASE: PHR after v, v-link PHR, oft PHR of n
31.
You describe something as over the ~ when you think that it is exaggerated, and therefore unacceptable. (mainly BRIT INFORMAL)
The special effects are a bit over the ~ but I enjoyed it.
= OTT
PHRASE: usu v-link PHR
32.
If you say something at the ~ of your voice, you say it very loudly.
‘Stephen!’ shouted Marcia at the ~ of her voice.
PHRASE: PHR after v
33.
at the ~ of the heap: see heap