• Tip

    Pronunciation

    • UK IPA: /tɪp/
    • Rhymes: -ɪp

    Origin 1

    Circa 1225. Not recorded in Old English or Old Norse, but apparently cognate with Dutch tip, East Frisian tip, Danish tip, Swedish tipp. Perhaps cognate with Old English tæppa. Compare Albanian thep ("tip, point").

    Full definition of tip

    Noun

    tip

    (plural tips)
    1. The extreme end of something, especially when pointed; e.g. the sharp end of a pencil. From 15th c.
      • 1848, Anne Bronte, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall:When he woke up, about half an hour after, he called it to him again, but Dash only looked sheepish and wagged the tip of his tail.
      • 2013-06-08, The new masters and commanders, From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much....  But viewed from high up in one of the growing number of skyscrapers in Sri Lanka’s capital, it is clear that something extraordinary is happening: China is creating a shipping hub just 200 miles from India’s southern tip.
    2. the tip of one's nose
    3. A piece of metal, fabric or other material used to cover the top of something for protection, utility or decoration. From 15th c.
      a tip for an umbrella, a shoe, a gas burner, etc.
    4. (music) The end of a bow of a stringed instrument that is not held.
    5. A piece of stiffened lining pasted on the inside of a hat crown.
    6. A thin, boarded brush made of camel's hair, used by gilders in lifting gold leaf.
    7. Rubbish thrown from a quarry.

    Synonyms

    Verb

    1. (transitive) To provide with a tip; to cover the tip of. From 15th c.
      • 1598, William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Act V:I thinke he thinkes vpon the sauage bull:
        Tush, feare not man, wee'll tip thy hornes with gold,
        And all Europa shall reioyce at thee ....
      • Hudibrastruncheon tipped with iron head
      • ThomsonTipped with jet,
        Fair ermines spotless as the snows they press.

    Origin 2

    Possibly from Scandinavian, or a special use of Etymology 1.

    Verb

    1. (transitive) To knock over; to make fall down, to overturn. From early 14th c.
    2. (intransitive) To fall over. From earlier 16th c.
    3. (intransitive) To be, or come to be, in a tilted or sloping position; to become unbalanced. From 17th c.
      • 1851, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick:the brief suspended agony of the boat, as it would tip for an instant on the knife-like edge of the sharper waves, that almost seemed threatening to cut it in two ....
    4. (transitive, slang, dated) To drink. From 18th c.
    5. (transitive) To dump (refuse). From 19th c.
    6. (US, transitive) To pour a libation, particularly from a forty of malt liquor. From 20th c.
      • 1993, DRS (band), “”:I tip my 40 to your memory.
    7. (transitive) To deflect with one′s fingers, especially one′s fingertips
      • 2011, September 28, Jon Smith, Valencia 1 - 1 Chelsea, Lampard was replaced by Kalou but the substitute immediately gave the ball to Jonas, whose 25-yard curler was tipped wide by Cech.

    Derived terms

    Noun

    tip

    (plural tips)
    1. (skittles, obsolete) The knocking over of a skittle. From 17th c.
    2. An act of tipping up or tilting. From 19th c.
    3. (UK, Australia, New Zealand) An area or a place for dumping something, such as rubbish or refuse, as from a mine; a heap (see tipple); a dump. From 19th c.
    4. (UK, Australia, New Zealand, by extension) A recycling centre.
    5. (colloquial) A very untidy place. From 20th c.
    6. The act of deflecting with one's fingers, especially the fingertips
      • 2011, October 1, Phil McNulty, Everton 0 - 2 Liverpool, As a frenetic opening continued, Cahill - whose robust approach had already prompted Jamie Carragher to register his displeasure to Atkinson - rose above the Liverpool defence to force keeper Pepe Reina into an athletic tip over the top.

    Origin 3

    Of uncertain origin; apparently cognate with Dutch tippen, German tippen, Swedish tippa.

    Verb

    1. (now rare) To hit quickly and lightly; to tap. From later 15th c.
      • Jonathan SwiftA third rogue tips me by the elbow.

    Noun

    tip

    (plural tips)
    1. (now rare) A light blow or tap. From later 16th c.

    Origin 4

    Originally thieves' slang, of uncertain orign.

    Verb

    1. To give a small gratuity to, especially to an employee of someone who provides a service. From early 18th c.
      In some cities waiters must be tipped.
      • 1922, Ben Travers, A Cuckoo in the Nest Chapter 2, Mother...considered that the exclusiveness of Peter's circle was due not to its distinction, but to the fact that it was an inner Babylon of prodigality and whoredom, from which every Kensingtonian held aloof, except on the conventional tip-and-run excursions in pursuit of shopping, tea and theatres.
    2. (thieves′ slang) To give, pass. From early 17th c.

    Derived terms

    Noun

    tip

    (plural tips)
    1. A gratuity; a small amount of money left for a bartender, waiter, taxi driver or other servant as a token of appreciation. From mid-18th c.
      • 1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula:A half crown tip put the deputy's knowledge at my disposal, and I learned that Mr. Bloxam ... had left for his work at five o'clock that morning.

    Synonyms

    Origin 5

    Probably from to tip ("give, pass") or to tip ("tap"), or a combination of the two.

    Noun

    tip

    (plural tips)
    1. A piece of private or secret information, especially imparted by someone with expert knowledge about sporting odds, business performance etc. From mid-19th c.

    Derived terms

    Terms derived from tip (noun, etym. 5)

    Descendants

    Verb

    1. To give a piece of private information to; to inform (someone) of a clue, secret knowledge, etc. From later 19th c.

    Derived terms

    Origin 6

    Noun

    tip

    (plural tips)
    1. (AAVE) A kick or phase; one's current habits or behaviour.
    2. (AAVE) A particular arena or sphere of interest; a front.

    Anagrams

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