1465
tore
top 'drawer n {the S} old-fash infml the highest social class:
She's not quite out of the top drawer you know, my dear.
—top-drawer adj
top-dress-ing /'tɒpdrɛsɪ||'tɑp-/ n [C;U] a covering of
LIME, sand, MANURE etc, spread over land but not dug into it
to·pee, topi /'təʊpiː||'toʊ'piː/ n a hard hat for protecting the
head in tropical sunshine
top-'flight adj infml of highest position or quality: top-flight
scientists/executives
top 'gear n [U] 1 the highest GEAR of a motor vehicle: The
car will cruise at 80 miles per hour in top gear. 2 a state of
great or highest activity: With just two weeks to go till the
election, the party's electoral campaign is in top gear.
top 'hat n a man's tall black or grey silk hat, now worn only
on formal occasions → see picture at HAT
top-heavy adj not properly balanced because of too much
weight at the top; too heavy at the top in relation to the
bottom: (fig.) With so many high-ranking executives, this
organization's getting top-heavy.
to·pi·a·ry /'təʊpɪəri||-pierɪ/ n [U] 1 the art of cutting trees
and bushes into decorative shapes 2 (a garden containing)
trees and bushes so cut
top·ic /'tɒpɪk||'tɑː-/ n a subject for conversation, talk, writing
etc: Politics or religion are always interesting topics of con-
versation.
top·ic·al /'tɒpɪkəl||'tɑː-/ adj of, dealing with, or being a
subject of interest at the present time: topical issues | The
recent events in China have made this film very topical. —ly
/kli/ adv —→-ity /ˌtɒpɪ'kælɪti||ˌtɑː-/ n [U]
Topical has the same connection with time as local
has with place: of great topical interest (=interesting now
but not always) | of great local interest (=interesting here
but not everywhere).
top-knot /'tɒpnɒt||'tɑːpnɑːt/ n a knot or bunch of hair,
RIBBONS etc, worn on the top of the head
top·less /'tɒplɪs||'tɑːp-/ adj, adv 1 (of a woman) with the
upper part of the body, including the breasts, bare: a beach
where women go topless | topless waitresses 2 (of a garment)
leaving the upper part of a woman's body, including the
breasts, uncovered: a topless swimsuit
top-level adj [A] very high or highest in level of authority,
importance, or quality: top-level management | Top-level
talks are to be held between the heads of state.
Top·man /'tɒpmæn||'tɑːp-/ trademark a British shop in many
towns in the UK that sells clothes for young men
top·most /'tɒpməʊst||'tɑːp-/ adj [A] highest; right at the top
top-'notch adj infml of highest rank or quality; being one of
the best possible
Top of the 'Pops a British television programme on which
singers and bands appear and music VIDEOS are shown,
especially when the singers or bands have records in the
current CHARTS. The programme always ends with the record
that has sold most copies in that week.
top-of-the-'range BrE || ,top-of-the-'line AmE — adj a
product that is top-of-the-range is the best of its kind: a
top-of-the-range electric guitar
to·pog·ra·pher /tə'pɒgrəfə||-'pɑː-/ n a person skilled in
topography
to·pog·ra·phy /tə'pɒgrəfi||-'pɑː-/ n [U] (the science of
describing or mapping) the character of an area, especially
as regards the shape and height of the land —phical
/ˌtɒpə'græfɪkəl||ˌtɑː-, ˌtɒ-/ adj —phically /kli/ adv
top·per /'tɒpə||'tɑː-/ n infml for TOP HAT
top·ping¹ /'tɒpɪŋ||'tɑː-/ n [C;U] something put on top of
food to make it look nicer, taste better etc
topping² adj old-fash infml, especially BrE excellent
topping-out n [U] tech, especially BrE the act of finishing the
roof of a new building, often marked by a ceremony in
which a small tree is nailed to a high point on the roof: a
topping-out ceremony
top·ple /'tɒpəl||'tɑː-/ v [I;T(over)] to (cause to) become
unsteady and fall down: The pile of bricks toppled over. | (fig.)
This scandal could topple the government.
'top-ranking adj infml of the highest skill or quality: a top-
ranking car/company/executive
tops /tɒps||tɑːps/ adv infml 1 at the most: It should take two
hours tops. 2 the best or most popular: The store was voted
tops for its outstanding facilities for children.
,top-'secret adj that must be kept completely secret, usually
because of military value: top-secret documents/information
,top-'shelf adj [A] (of a magazine) of a sexually exciting
nature: She had spent five years modelling for top-shelf
magazines in a strange variety of underwear.
Top·shop /'tɒpʃɒp||'tɑːpʃɑːp/ trademark a British shop in
many towns in the UK that sells clothes for young women
top·side /'tɒpsaɪd||'tɑːp-/ n [U] BrE high quality BEEF cut
from the upper leg of the animal
top·soil /'tɒpsɔɪl||'tɑːp-/ n [U] (soil from) the upper level of
soil, in which most plants have their roots
top·spin /'tɒpˌspɪn||'tɑːp-/ n [U] turning movement given to
a ball in such a way that it spins forward in the air
Top·sy /'tɒpsi||'tɑːp-/ a small African-American girl character
in the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1851-52) by Harriet Beecher
STOWE. When she is asked whether she knows who made her
(that is, whether she has heard of God), she replies 'I expect I
grow'd' (=grew).
CULTURAL NOTE People in the US say something 'just
grew, like Topsy' when they are talking about something
whose real origin is not known or about something that
has gradually become very large.
top-sy-turvy /ˌtɒpsi 'tɜːvi||ˌtɑːpsi 'tɜːrvi/ adj, adv in a
state of complete disorder and confusion: He left his room all
topsy-turvy. | The whole world's going topsy-turvy.
,top 'table BrE || head table AmE — n a table at a formal
meal where the most important people or those people
giving speeches sit, e.g. at a wedding
,Top 'Ten, the 1 the ten best-selling recordings of popular
music in a particular week: Tune in to Radio 1 for this week's
Top Ten. | a record that reached the Top Ten in December
1995 2 any list of the ten best-selling products or most
successful organizations of a particular type. There are some-
times also longer lists, such as the Top Twenty or Top Fifty:
this year's Top Twenty novels | Compaq is one of the world's
Top Ten computer companies.
'top-up n an amount added to sthg. to raise or keep it to a
desired level: Would you like a top-up? (=more drink in your
glass) | I think the car needs a top-up (=more water or petrol).
'top-up ,fees n [P] a system of providing extra money for
universities by allowing them to charge extra money for
popular courses. Students have to borrow the money, but do
not have to pay any money back until they have left
university and are earning more than a certain amount of
money each year. Some people complained about the intro-
duction of the system in the UK because they thought
students from poor homes would not want to borrow so
much money and so would not go to university.
tor /tɔːr/ n especially BrE (the top of) a high rocky hill, especially
in Devon and Cornwall
Tor·ah, the /'tɔːrə/ 1 the Jewish name for the first five
books of the Bible, which Christians called the 'Penta-
teuch' 2 a SCROLL (=a roll of paper) on which these books
are written, and which is used in religious ceremonies 3 all
the writings and teachings on the practice of JUDAISM
torch /tɔːtʃ||tɔːrt/ n 1 BrE || flashlight AmE — a small electric
light carried in the hand: The burglar shone his torch into the
dark room. 2 a mass of burning material tied to a stick and
carried by hand to give light: The Olympic torch is carried by
runners to the place where the Games are being held. | (fig., fml)
to pass on the torch of knowledge to future generations 3 AmE
for BLOWLAMP → see also carry a torch for (CARRY)
torch·light /'tɔːtʃlaɪt||'tɔr-/ n [U] light produced by
TORCHES (1, 2): They held a torchlight procession to celebrate
the festival.
'torch ,singer n a person who sings a torch song
'torch ,song n a song, usually about love or unhappiness,
sung with much emotion
tore /tɔːr/ past tense of TEAR