| 释义 |
top
I. \ˈtäp\ noun
(-s)
Etymology: Middle English top, toppe, from Old English top; akin to Old High German zopf end, tip, tuft of hair, Old Norse toppr tuft of hair, crest, top and perhaps to Old English tæppa tap — more at tap
1.
a.
(1) : the highest point, level, or part of something : the upper end, edge, or extremity : summit, crown
< looked over the tops of his half-spectacles — Marcia Davenport >
< slopes leading toward the mesa-top — American Antiquity >
< the top of the beach — Sally Carrighar >
< the top of the pass >
(2) : the highest part of the body : the head or top of the head — used especially in the phrase top to toe
(3) : the head of a plant; especially : the part of a plant with edible roots that is above ground
< beet tops >
(4) : the part of a cut gem above the girdle : crown, bezel
(5) : the upper part of a garment; especially : the jacket of pajamas
(6) : a garment worn on the upper body
(7) : top milk
b.
(1) : the highest or uppermost region or parts
< dive bombers … dive off the top of the sky — Ira Wolfert >
especially : the uppermost story (as the attic) of a building
< at the top of the house lived a medical student — W.B.Yeats >
— compare treetop
(2) : the surface normally or at present facing upward as opposed to the undersurface : the side that overlies the whole
< cumulus clouds … with flat bases and rounded tops — O.W.Perrie >
< marked at several places to indicate where the top of the concrete should be — Building, Estimating & Contracting >
(3) : the part of a thing placed uppermost in use
< the top of the page >
(4) : the surface of the land or ocean
< the submarine came to the top >
also : the point at which an underground shaft, tunnel, or well reaches the surface
2.
a. dialect : a crowning tuft:
(1) : the hair on the head
(2) : crest 1a
b. dialect : a tuft of textile fiber; specifically : a bunch of flax tow placed on a distaff
c.
(1) : a continuous strand of the longer wool fibers after straightening and separating from the short fibers by combing
(2) : a similar strand of rayon staple fiber
3. : a fitted, integral, or attached part or unit serving as an upper piece, endpiece, lid, or covering
< an ornamented steamboat smokestack top — Frederick Way >
< saving box tops for premiums >
< a jar with a threaded top >
as
a. : a metal, plastic, or fabric roof over the passenger compartment of a vehicle that is permanent or capable of being folded back, lowered, or removed
b. : the turndown part or band on a top boot
c. Britain : a ceiling especially in a mine
d. : the upper of a shoe; especially : the parts above the vamp
e. : a circus or carnival tent
4.
a. : a platform surrounding the head of a lower mast that serves to spread the topmast rigging, strengthen the mast, and furnish a standing place for men aloft
b. : a comparable part of the superstructure; especially : such a part on a warship used as a fire-control station or antiaircraft gun platform
5. : the part that is nearest in space or time to the source or beginning
< the top of the lake >
< the top of the morning >
specifically : the first half of an inning in the game of baseball
6. : topsail
7.
a.
(1) : the highest degree conceivable, attainable, or attained : acme, pinnacle
< singing at the top of a form that is unmatched anywhere — Theatre Arts >
< the high temperature reading … compared with an 87.2 top on Friday — New York Times >
(2) : the loudest or highest range of a sound
< shouted at the top of his lungs >
< a soprano with a weak top >
(3) Britain : high III 2b
(4) : the price of the most expensive seats for a performance
< a show having a six-dollar top >
b. archaic : the highest realization or embodiment : the most perfect actualization or instance
c. : the height at which something that has been advancing recedes : culminating point : maximum
< sail with the top of the tide — Rachel Henning >
< the all-time top for fishermen's earnings — Pacific Fisherman >
< stocks bought at the top of the market >
8.
a.
(1) : the highest position in rank, achievement, honor, success, or fame
< the top of his profession >
< top of the bill >
< the top of his class >
especially : the position of a person or group wielding supreme authority
< bribery has reached from the top right down to the lowest clerical level — Atlantic >
< access to someone very near the top — Thomas Barman >
(2) : a person or thing at the top
< the news of the rising situation got through … to the Congress … tops — Spark >
b.
(1) : a playing card higher than any held in the same suit by an opponent
(2) tops plural : aces and kings in a hand or the three highest honors in a suit
(3) or top score : the highest match-point score made at duplicate bridge on a particular board or the highest total of match points scored during a session by one contestant or team
9.
a. : the choicest part : the best or finest of its lot or kind : cream, pick
b. tops plural : the choicest animals in a flock or herd
c. tops plural, Britain : aristocrats
10.
a. : the part of a thing that is conventionally highest or occupies the most important position
< the arctic, the frozen top of the world — Carey Longmire >
< our pilots rolled to the top of the runway — P.J.C.Friedlander >
< the top of the room >
< set her down at the top of the street — Maurice Hewlett >
b. : the end of a billiard table opposite to that marked with the balkline in English billiards
< a top-of-the-table game >
11. : top boot
12. : a button finished (as by plating) only on the face
13. : a forward spin given to a ball (as in golf, tennis, billiards, or cricket) by striking it on or near the top or above the center; also : the blow or stroke so given
14. : first sergeant 1
15. : the most volatile part that passes over first on distillation — often used in plural
< refinery tops >
16. : a die marked with usually only three different numbers rather than the usual six
17. : an outer ornamental or protective coating or layer
< a stainless steel watch band with a gold top >
— compare blacktop
•
- off one's top
- on top
- on top of
- on top of the world
- over the top
- the top of one's head
II. noun
(-s)
Etymology: Middle English top, toppe, from Old English top; perhaps akin to Middle Dutch dop top, Old High German topf
1. : a child's toy that is commonly cylindrical, pear-shaped, or conoidal and has a tapering usually steel-shod point on which it is made to spin by means of the fingers, a string, or a spring, or by whipping — see peg top, whipping top
2. : a conical block of wood with longitudinal grooves on its surface in which strands of rope slide in the process of twisting
III. verb
(topped ; topped ; topping ; tops)
Etymology: Middle English topen, toppen, from top, toppe top — more at top (head)
transitive verb
1. : to remove or cut the top of: as
a. : to prune the top or leaves of (a plant especially of a root crop)
< top carrots >
b. : to execute by hanging
c. : to cut, break, or otherwise take off the top of (a steel ingot) to remove unsound metal
d. : to cut the top part from (a tree) in logging — compare climber 1a
e. : pinch 1b (2)
f. : to remove the most volatile parts (as crude petroleum) from : strip 15a, skim
2.
a. : to cover with a top or on the top : provide, form, or serve as a top for : complete by giving or serving as a covering, endpiece, crown, or cup for
< arches that top the windows — American Guide Series: New Hampshire >
< a black mop of curls topping a sleepy face — Winifred Bambrick >
< the city's educational system is topped by four degree-granting colleges — American Guide Series: New York >
b.
(1) : to supply with a decorative or protective finish or a final touch — often used with off
< topped off the day with an hour's dancing — Bernard DeVoto >
(2) : to cover with another dye
< top aniline black with methyl violet to prevent greening and crocking >
(3) : tip 3
(4) : to resupply or especially refuel (something partially exhausted) to capacity — usually used with off
< log … showed she was topped off with fuel — Chesley Wilson >
(5) West : to finish breaking in (a horse)
< all these prospects had been topped and ridden several times — Jo Mora >
— usually used with off or out
< the horse may still buck … but now the peeler can start topping it off — S.E.Fletcher >
3.
a.
(1) : to be or become higher than : come to or over the top of : overtop
< the water topped the boathouse >
< topped by three other peaks in the state — American Guide Series: Vermont >
(2) : to be in excess of
< ski crowds have topped 5000 in a single day — Jean Lunzer >
< world wheat production has topped that of rice — Margaret K. Zieman >
< the best year in its history … topping record 1953 — Wall Street Journal >
b.
(1) : to be superior to : do better than : excel, surpass, outdo
< intends to top herself in her next picture — Robert Trumbull >
< tops everything of the kind in print — Alfred Frankenstein >
(2) : to perform (a part) better than before or better than someone else
c. : to gain ascendancy over : dominate
< the base shall top the legitimate — Shakespeare >
4.
a.
(1) : to rise to or reach the top of : ascend to the upper surface or especially the summit of
< topped the backbone of the continent — A.B.Guthrie >
(2) : to go over the top of : clear, surmount
< the horse topped the barrier >
(3) : to rise above the level of
< the plane was to top the storm — Newsweek >
b.
(1) : to be at the top of
< story that topped the nation's best-seller list — W.H.Whyte >
< a great beech … topped a small knoll — Susan Ertz >
(2) : to be the highest card in (a suit)
< a suit topped by the ace >
(3) : to be in the most prominent or featured position of
< top the bill >
5. : cover 10a
6. : to strike (a golf ball) above the center; also : to make (as a stroke) by hitting the ball in this way
intransitive verb
: to make an end, finish, or conclusion — used with such prepositions as off, out, or up
IV. adjective
Etymology: Middle English top, toppe, from top, toppe, n., top
1.
a. : of, relating to, or at the top : highest, topmost, uppermost
< top floor >
< in man the larynx sits at the top end of a windpipe — G.A.Miller >
b. : serving as or constituting a top
< the top crust of a pie >
2.
a.
(1) : foremost in order, rank, achievement, value, or precedence : chief, head, preeminent
< the top painter of his time — Margaret Biddle >
< two of the nation's top twenty-five banks — T.H.White b.1915 >
< ranked among the top six men of his class — Current Biography >
< top priority >
(2) : of prime importance or interest
< it should have been … the top thought and concern of theater men — Bosley Crowther >
< top essential for stained-glass making is lead — H.L.Morrow >
< the top news … has dealt with cases of flagrant corruption — Sidney Warren >
(3) : being the highest or a high card of a suit
< a suit headed by the four top honors >
(4) : responsible for the planning and initiation of policies and practices and for making the principal decisions concerning them — distinguished from middle
< top management >
b. : of a very high quality : extremely good : first-class
< the winner showed top form >
< top sports coverage — advt >
3. : of a very high or the highest degree, amount, or intensity : greatest
< top speed >
< commodities selling at top prices >
4. : that has or is fitted with a top
< top buggy >
V. transitive verb
(topped ; topped ; topping ; tops)
Etymology: perhaps from top (I)
: to raise one end of (as the yard of a sail) higher than the other
VI. abbreviation
topographic; topographical
VII. adjective
: having a quantum characteristic whose existence was postulated on the basis of the discovery of the bottom quark
< top quark >
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