Top

Top, top, n. the highest part of anything: the upper end or surface: the upper part of a plant: the crown of the head: the highest place, rank, or crown, consummation: the chief or highest person: (naut.) a small platform at the head of the lower mast: the end-piece of a jointed fishing-rod: the same as top-boot, esp. in pl.—adj. highest, foremost, chief: good, capital.—v.t. to cover on the top: to tip: to rise above: to surpass: to rise to the top of: to take off the top of: to hit a golf ball above its centre.—v.i. to be eminent:—pr.p. top′ping; pa.t. and pa.p. topped.—adj. Top′-boot′ed, wearing top-boots.—n.pl. Top′-boots, long-legged boots with an ornamental band of bright-coloured leather round the top.—ns. Top′coat, a coat worn outside one's other clothes: Top′-drain′ing, the act or practice of draining the surface of land.—v.t. Top′-dress, to spread manure on the surface of.—n. Top′-dress′ing, a dressing of manure laid on the surface of land: (fig.) any superficial covering.—adjs. Top′full (Shak.), full to the top or brim; Top′gallant, applied to the mast and sail next above the topmast and topsail and below the royal-mast.—n. Top′-hamp′er, unnecessary weight on a ship's upper-deck.—adj. Top′-heav′y, having the upper part too heavy for the lower: tipsy.—n. Top′-knot, a crest or knot of feathers upon the head of a bird: a knot of ribbons worn by women on the top of the head: the popular name of some small fishes of the same genus as the turbot and brill.—adjs. Top′-knotted; Top′less (Shak.), supreme, without superior; Top′loftical, Top′lofty, having a high top, pompous, bombastic.—ns. Top′loftiness; Top′man, a man stationed in one of the tops: a top-sawyer; Top′mast, the second mast, or that immediately above the lower mast.—adj. Top′most, next the top: highest.—ns. Top′per, one who, or that which, excels; Top′ping, the act of one who tops, that which tops: (pl.) that cut off in topping.—adj. surpassing, pre-eminent: arrogant.—adv. Top′pingly.—adj. Top′-proud (Shak.), proud in the highest degree.—ns. Topsail (top′sāl, or -sl), a sail across the topmast; Top′-saw′yer, the upper sawyer in a sawpit: (coll.) a superior, a person of importance; Top′-side, the upper part; Tops′man, a head-drover, a foreman; Top′-soil, the upper part or surface of the soil; Top′-soil′ing, removal of the top-soil; Top′-stone, a stone placed on the top, or which forms the top. [A.S. top; Ger. zopf.]