tip
1 Americannoun
-
a slender or pointed end or extremity, especially of anything long or tapered.
the tips of the fingers.
-
the top, summit, or apex.
the tip of the mountain.
-
a small piece or part, as of metal or leather, forming or covering the extremity of something.
a cane with a rubber tip.
-
Also called tip-in. Also called tip-on. an insert, as an illustration, map, or errata slip, pasted to a page of a book, magazine, etc., usually along the binding margin.
-
a small, delicate tool made of fine hair cemented between two cards, for applying gold leaf.
verb (used with object)
-
to furnish with a tip.
-
to serve as or form the tip of.
-
to mark or adorn the tip of.
-
to remove the tip or stem of (berries or certain fruits or vegetables).
-
to frost the ends of (hair strands).
I'm having my hair cut and tipped tomorrow.
verb phrase
verb (used with object)
-
to cause to assume a slanting or sloping position; incline; tilt.
-
to overturn, upset, or overthrow (often followed byover ).
-
to remove or lift (one's hat or cap) in salutation.
-
British. to empty out (contents) from a container by tilting; dump: Tip the batter into a rectangular baking dish.
The dustmen tipped the rubbish on the municipal dump.
Tip the batter into a rectangular baking dish.
verb (used without object)
-
to assume a slanting or sloping position; incline.
-
to tilt up at one end and down at the other; slant.
-
to be overturned or upset.
The car tipped into the ditch.
-
to tumble or topple (usually followed byover ).
The lamp on the table tipped over.
noun
-
the act of tipping.
-
the state of being tipped.
-
British.
-
a dump for refuse, as that from a mine.
-
Informal. an untidy place, especially a room.
They must have packed and left in a rush, because the place is an absolute tip.
-
idioms
noun
-
a small present of money given directly to someone for performing a service or menial task; gratuity.
He gave the waiter a dollar as a tip.
-
a piece of private or secret information, as for use in betting, speculating, or writing a news story.
a tip from a bookie.
-
a useful hint or idea; a basic, practical fact.
tips on painting.
- Synonyms:
- pointer, suggestion
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb phrase
noun
-
a light, smart blow; tap.
-
Baseball. a batted ball that glances off the bat.
verb (used with object)
-
to strike or hit with a light, smart blow; tap.
-
Baseball. to strike (the ball) with a glancing blow.
verb
-
to tilt or cause to tilt
-
to tilt or cause to tilt, so as to overturn or fall
-
to dump (rubbish, etc)
-
to take off, raise, or touch one's hat in salutation
noun
-
the act of tipping or the state of being tipped
-
a dump for refuse, etc
noun
-
the extreme end of something, esp a narrow or pointed end
-
the top or summit
-
a small piece forming an extremity or end
a metal tip on a cane
verb
-
to adorn or mark the tip of
-
to cause to form a tip
noun
-
a payment given for services in excess of the standard charge; gratuity
-
a helpful hint, warning, or other piece of information
-
a piece of inside information, esp in betting or investing
verb
verb
-
to hit or strike lightly
-
to hit (a ball) indirectly so that it glances off the bat in cricket
noun
-
a light blow
-
a glancing hit in cricket
Other Word Forms
- tipless adjective
- tippable adjective
- untippable adjective
Etymology
Origin of tip1
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English; compare Dutch, Low German, Danish tip, Swedish tipp, German zipf- in Zipfel “tip”
Origin of tip2
First recorded in 1300–50; earlier tipen, Middle English typen “to upset, overturn”
Origin of tip3
First recorded in 1600–10; perhaps special use of tip 4
Origin of tip4
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English (noun); perhaps from Low German; compare German tippen “to tap,” from Low German
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The tipping point was, on the surface, a typical small-town dispute.
The Boneparths offered some tips on how both partners can get up to speed:
The reported incidents flagged by Anthropic are “only the tip of the iceberg of actual usage for this type of data generation,” said Lambert.
From MarketWatch
“Maybe this is a tipping point for schools saying maybe it’s time to make a big change with the rule,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times
The FBI has received more than 1,500 tips since Savannah Guthrie announced her family was offering $1 million for information leading to her mother’s return.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
