I. tip 1 S2 W3 /tɪp/ BrE AmE noun
[ Sense 1,4-5: Date: 1400-1500 ; Origin: Probably from Old Norse typpi ]
[ Sense 2-3, 8-9: Date: 1600-1700 ; Origin: Perhaps from tip 'light blow' (15-21 centuries) , perhaps from Low German tippen 'to hit lightly' ]
[ Sense 6-7: Date: 1800-1900 ; Origin: tip ]
1 . END [countable] the end of something, especially something pointed
tip of
He kissed the tip of her nose.
the southern tip of South America
lights on the wing tips of aeroplanes
⇨ ↑ fingertip (1)
2 . MONEY [countable] a small amount of additional money that you give to someone such as a ↑ waiter or a taxi driver:
Did you leave a tip?
large/generous/big tip
I gave the guy a big tip.
a $5 tip
3 . ADVICE [countable] a helpful piece of advice:
Perhaps she could give us a few tips.
tip on/for
This week's magazine has some tips on healthy eating.
handy tip (=useful tip)
handy tips for decorating a small flat
gardening tips
4 . the tip of the iceberg a small sign of a problem that is much larger:
The reported cases of food poisoning are only the tip of the iceberg.
5 . on the tip of your tongue
a) if something is on the tip of your tongue, you really want to say it, but then you decide not to:
It was on the tip of my tongue to say, ‘I’d rather have dinner with a snake.’
b) if a word, name etc is on the tip of your tongue, you know it but cannot remember it:
What is her name? It’s on the tip of my tongue. Joan. Joan Simpson. That’s it!
6 . WASTE [countable] British English an area where unwanted waste is taken and left SYN dump :
a rubbish tip
I’ll take this lot to the tip.
7 . UNTIDY [singular] British English informal an extremely dirty or untidy place:
The house was an absolute tip.
8 . HORSE RACE [countable] informal special information about which horse will win a race
9 . WARNING [countable] a secret warning or piece of information, especially to police about illegal activities:
Acting on a tip, the police were able to find and arrest Upton.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ verbs
▪ leave a tip
Aren’t you going to leave a tip?
▪ give somebody a tip
Kim gave the driver a tip.
■ adjectives
▪ a big/large/generous tip
The service was great and we left a large tip.
▪ a 5%/10% etc tip
A 15% tip is customary in restaurants.
▪ a £2/$5 tip
He gave the waitress a $10 tip.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 3)
■ verbs
▪ give somebody a tip
He gave me some tips on how to improve my game.
▪ pass on a tip
The writer passes on many tips that she has learned over the years.
▪ follow a tip
To keep your bike in good condition, follow these simple tips.
▪ pick up a tip
If you listen to the show, you’ll pick up some really useful gardening tips.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + tip
▪ a good/useful/helpful/handy tip
Go to their website to find useful tips on buying and selling a home.
▪ a simple tip
He has some simple tips for saving money when you're at the supermarket.
▪ cooking tips
Most recipes come with added cooking tips.
▪ gardening tips
Marie was always willing to share her gardening tips.
▪ beauty tips
The article contains some useful beauty tips.
▪ safety tips
Ensure the safety of your family with a few simple safety tips from the Fire Service.
II. tip 2 S3 BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle tipped , present participle tipping )
1 . LEAN [intransitive and transitive] to move into a sloping position, so that one end or side is higher than the other, or to make something do this SYN tilt
tip forward/back/to etc
His helmet had tipped forward and the boy pushed it back.
Eric fell asleep, his head gently tipping to one side.
tip something forward/back etc
‘So what?’ asked Brian, tipping his chair back on its rear legs.
2 . POUR [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to pour something from one place or container into another
tip something onto/into something
Tip the onions and oil into a large ovenproof dish.
Ben tipped the contents of the drawer onto the table.
tip something out
Shall I tip the water out?
3 . GIVE MONEY [intransitive and transitive] to give an additional amount of money to someone such as a ↑ waiter or taxi driver:
Did you tip the waiter?
tip somebody something
I tipped him $5.
4 . BE LIKELY TO SUCCEED [transitive usually passive] if someone or something is tipped to do something, people think that they are most likely to succeed in doing it
tip somebody/something to do something
the man tipped to become the next President
tip somebody for/as something
He’s tipped as a future world champion.
widely/strongly/hotly tipped
He had been widely tipped to get the new post of deputy director.
5 . gold-tipped/steel-tipped/rubber-tipped etc having a tip that is made of or covered with gold, steel etc:
a silver-tipped walking stick
6 . tip the balance/scales to give a slight advantage to someone or something:
Three factors helped to tip the balance in favour of the Labour leadership.
7 . tip the scales at something to weigh a particular amount, used especially of someone who will be taking part in a sports competition:
At today’s weigh-in he tipped the scales at just over 15 stone.
8 . it’s tipping (it) down British English spoken said when it is raining very heavily:
It was absolutely tipping it down.
9 . be tipped with something to have one end covered in something:
arrows tipped with poison
red petals tipped with white
10 . tip your hat/cap (to somebody)
a) to touch or raise your hat as a greeting to someone
b) American English to say or do something that shows you admire what someone has done
11 . tip somebody the wink British English informal to give someone secret information
tip somebody ↔ off phrasal verb
to give someone such as the police a secret warning or piece of information, especially about illegal activities:
The police must have been tipped off.
tip somebody off that
His contact had tipped him off that drugs were on the premises.
tip somebody ↔ off about
Did you tip him off about Bernard?
tip over phrasal verb
if you tip something over, or if it tips over, it falls or turns over:
The candle tipped over and the hay caught fire.
tip something ↔ over
The current was starting to tip the canoe over and I began to panic.
tip up phrasal verb
if you tip something up, or if it tips up, it moves into a sloping position, so that one end or side is higher than the other
tip something ↔ up
He tipped the bottle up so that the last of the liquid flowed into his glass.
Ken tipped up the wheelbarrow, then stood back to rest.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ pour to make a liquid or other substance flow out of or into a container by holding it at an angle:
Jessica was pouring more wine into her glass.
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He poured me a drink.
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Raj poured some water from the jug.
▪ drizzle to pour a liquid onto food in small drops or in a small stream – often used in cooking instructions:
Drizzle a little olive oil onto the bread.
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Drizzle the lemon juice over the cake.
▪ tip to pour something out of a container by turning it upside down:
He tipped the cup of milk into the pan.
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She weighed out the flour and tipped it into the bowl.
▪ spill to accidentally make a liquid or other substance come out of a container:
Someone had spilled coffee all over the carpet.
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The tanker was leaking, and spilled oil into the sea.
▪ splash to pour a liquid quickly in an irregular stream:
Tony hurriedly splashed some cream in his coffee.
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Someone had splashed petrol over the steps and set light to them.
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She splashed some perfume onto her wrists.
▪ decant to pour liquid from one container into another container – a rather formal use:
Rachel decanted the shampoo into small bottles for travelling.
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He often decanted cheap whisky into bottles of more expensive brands.