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top

5 5.3
A large tent used for circus shows
  • noun
  • /tɑp/
: carpa
  • Let's move on to our big top stories with a interlude.
  • big top

So here we have sage, big top, sage, small top, Willow, big top, Willow, small top.

Examples

  • It's shaped like one of the Monopoly "men," like the top of a circus tent.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The clown performed funny tricks under the top of the circus tent.

  • Josephine stepped inside, half expecting to choke, but a large hole in the tent top took the fumes away.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Families gathered to watch the acrobats perform high above the audience in the top of the big tent.

  • Children were excited to sit in the shade of the top as the circus show began.

Synonyms

marquee
vstop
  • UK
18 7.1

A large tent used for parties and events

is aimed at audience housing use rather than social or commercial events
big top
vstop
7 3.5

A large tent used for circus shows

is the same meaning but is the informal common name
circus tent
vstop
4 2.5

A large tent where circus performers put on shows and people watch

is focused on housing the audience rather than all show functions
large tent
vstop
2 1.3

A big shelter made of cloth for people at outdoor events

is narrower, referring specifically to housing the audience not general shelters
wall tent
vstop
  • US
1 4.5

A large camping shelter with four straight cloth walls that gives more room inside than a normal tent

is shaped for audience seating rather than a boxy four sided shelter
round top
vstop
  • UK
8.1

A large tent that holds people for a circus show

is the same sense but is a variant name

Idioms

40 3.2

To do something completely by checking every part

38 2.8

Feeling very happy and successful

6 4.7

The thing someone thinks about most right now

5 4.6

The most important position with the highest priority

Aware of the latest popular styles and ideas in a field

1 9.9

The highest and hardest job to get in politics or business

1 4.4

Use all your voice to shout or sing very loudly

8.0

To suddenly become very angry

To get a high job or power by being dishonest

To reach the top by fighting and pushing through many problems

As loudly as possible so people can hear

Compounds

top secret
  • Formal
128 4.2

Information that the government keeps private for security reasons

117 5.2

Very extreme or exaggerated in a way that seems unreasonable

89 3.5

The most important thing to deal with first

top-secret
  • Formal
55 5.9

Information that only a very small number of people are allowed to know

top notch
  • Informal
51 3.6

Of the highest quality and better than most similar things

A product that has very high quality and is often the most expensive option

The exact time when a new hour begins, for example 3:00

31 1.3

A tight shirt without sleeves that has wide shoulder straps

top dog
  • Informal
26 4.6

A person with the most power in a group

25 4.3

A tall hat with a flat top and straight sides worn with formal clothes

23 5.1

The highest price people pay for something because it is rare or very valuable

23 3.7

How fast a vehicle or person can move

22 4.4

The highest shelf in a storage space or a thing of the highest quality

14 3.8

Very high quality and lasts a long time

top brass
  • Informal
13 5.7

The most important people in a company or the army who make big decisions

13 6.8

Very high quality or the upper drawer in a piece of furniture

8 6.2

Of very high quality and among the best in its field

7 6.2

The most important name that appears first in ads or credits

7 3.5

A large tent used for circus shows

muffin top
  • Informal
7 7.5

A layer of fat that spills over a tight waistband of trousers or a skirt

5 3.7

Shoes with tops that reach above the ankle for extra support

5 4.2

Having a level top surface

What you see from a high place or from a position of power

4 3.7

Of the highest quality, better than others like it

3 3.3

A shoe with a top that reaches above the ankle for extra support

3 2.2

The upper surface of a thing, like paper or cake

2 5.1

The first half of an inning when the visiting team bats

top cat
  • Informal
2 7.5

A person who is in charge of a group and makes the main decisions

top-up
  • UK
2 3.2

An extra amount you add to bring something back to the desired level

top boot
  • Archaic
1 7.7

A tall leather shoe that reaches halfway to the knee and is worn for riding or historical dress

top banana
  • Archaic
1 7.7

The most important person in a group or organization

1 7.4

A car with a roof that you can fold down or remove

top gear
  • Informal
1 3.8

A time when someone works at their highest speed or energy

carrot top
  • Informal
1 7.7

A person with bright red or orange hair

1 1.3

A small toy that turns quickly on a sharp point

1 5.6

The highest level of success in a job or field

over-the-top
  • Specialized
1 5.7

Delivered over the internet directly to users instead of through cable services

top quark
  • Specialized
1 9.5

A very heavy tiny particle studied by physicists

The highest job or status in a company

A list of ingredients and steps that people keep secret to make a food unique

top-notcher
  • Philippine
1 8.2

A person who is among the best in a field

1 5.1

A lean piece of beef from the upper back leg used for roasting or thin slicing

1 7.2

Loud exaggerated actions meant to get attention or make people laugh

A product that is the best and most expensive in a range

top dressing
  • Specialized
1 5.4

A thin layer of compost or fertilizer spread on top of soil to help plants grow without mixing it in

1 5.5

An item in a collection that people value most

tilt-top table
  • Archaic
1 7.0

A small table with a top that can be turned up to stand upright to save space

top onion
  • Specialized
1 9.0

A plant that makes small bulbs at the top instead of flowers and gives young shoots for salads

1 9.1

A toy that spins when you hit it with a string

calash top
  • Archaic
9.9

A folding hood on a carriage pulled by horses that protects passengers from rain and wind

celery top pine
  • Australian
9.9

A tall evergreen tree from Tasmania with strong, fine wood that people use for boats and building

A spinning toy that makes a soft buzzing sound when it moves

rattle-top
  • Specialized
9.9

A tall North American plant with long white flowers that keeps insects away

8.1

A large tent that holds people for a circus show

peg top
  • UK
7.6

A wooden toy shaped like a pear with a metal point you spin with a string

9.0

A small table with a top that folds up to stand upright for storage

top-up
  • UK
3.5

A prepaid code or card you use to add credit to a phone

top fermenting yeast
  • Specialized
5.8

A yeast that rises to the top when beer is made and is used to brew ales

top lift
  • Specialized
8.9

The bottom part of a shoe heel that often wears away and needs replacing

The most expensive area of a town where rich people live

top fermentation
  • Specialized
5.8

A way of making beer where yeast rises to the top at warm temperatures for ales

top-gallant yard
  • Specialized
9.9

A long horizontal pole high on a sailing ship that holds the topgallant sail

8.8

A top that shows the lower part of the breasts

whipping top
  • Archaic
8.0

A toy top you make spin by hitting it with a short cord

A kitchen counter with a wooden top for preparing and eating food

Surface Forms

top singular
tops plural

Etymology

Top in the phrase 'big top' for a circus tent uses top to mean the roof or cover of a place. So the top is the large tent roof under which the show happens.