bottom

[ bot-uh m ]

/ ˈbɒt əm /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bottom ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the lowest or deepest part of anything, as distinguished from the top: the bottom of a hill; the bottom of a page.

the under or lower side; underside: the bottom of a typewriter.

the ground under any body of water: the bottom of the sea.

Usually bottoms. Also called bottom land. Physical Geography. low alluvial land next to a river.

Nautical.

the part of a hull between the bilges, including the keel.
the part of a hull that is immersed at all times.
the cargo space in a vessel.
a cargo vessel.

the seat of a chair.

Informal. the buttocks; rump.

the fundamental part; basic aspect.

bottoms, (used with a plural verb) the bottom part of a two-piece article of clothing, as a bathing suit or the trousers of a pair of pajamas.

the working part of a plow, comprising the plowshare, landside, and moldboard.

the cause; origin; basis: Try getting to the bottom of the problem.

Baseball.

the second half of an inning.
the last three players in the batting order.

lowest limit, especially of dignity, status, or rank: When people sink that low, they're bound to reach the bottom soon.

Slang. the submissive partner in a sexual relationship or encounter, especially the person who is penetrated in anal intercourse (opposed to top).

Usually bottoms. Chemistry. the heaviest, least volatile fraction of petroleum, left behind in distillation after more volatile fractions are driven off.

verb (used with object)

to furnish with a bottom.

to base or found (usually followed by on or upon).

to discover the full meaning of (something); fathom.

to bring (a submarine) to rest on the ocean floor: They had to bottom the sub until the enemy cruisers had passed by.

verb (used without object)

to be based; rest.

to strike against the bottom or end; reach the bottom.

(of an automotive vehicle) to sink vertically, as when bouncing after passing over a bump, so that the suspension reaches the lower limit of its motion: The car bottomed too easily on the bumpy road.

adjective

of or relating to the bottom or a bottom.

located on or at the bottom: I want the bottom book in the stack.

lowest: bottom prices.

living near or on the bottom: A flounder is a bottom fish.

fundamental: the bottom cause.

Verb Phrases

bottom out, to reach the lowest state or level: The declining securities market finally bottomed out and began to rise.

Nearby words

bottleneck, bottlenose, bottlenose dolphin, bottler, bottlewasher, bottom, bottom bolt, bottom break, bottom dead centre, bottom dog, bottom drawer

Idioms

at bottom, in reality; fundamentally: They knew at bottom that they were only deceiving themselves.Also at the bottom.

bet one's bottom dollar,

to wager the last of one's money or resources.
to be positive or assured: You can bet your bottom dollar that something will prevent us from leaving on time.

bottoms up, (used as an interjection to announce or urge the downing of one's drink).

hit bottom, to fall into the worst of all possible circumstances: After all those years of flying high, she finally hit bottom. When the housing market crashed, it really hit bottom, leaving people with houses worth less than their mortgages.

Origin of bottom

before 1000; Middle English botme, Old English botm; akin to Old Norse botn, Dutch bodem, German Boden, Latin fundus, Greek pythmḗn, Sanskrit budhná

Related formsun·bot·tom, verb (used with object)un·der·bot·tom, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for at bottom

bottom

/ (ˈbɒtəm) /

noun

the lowest, deepest, or farthest removed part of a thingthe bottom of a hill

the least important or successful positionthe bottom of a class

the ground underneath a sea, lake, or river

touch bottom to run aground

the inner depths of a person's true feelings (esp in the phrase from the bottom of one's heart)

the underneath part of a thing

nautical the parts of a vessel's hull that are under water

(in literary or commercial contexts) a boat or ship

billiards snooker a strike in the centre of the cue ball

a dry valley or hollow

(often plural) US and Canadian the low land bordering a river

the lowest level worked in a mine

(esp of horses) staying power; stamina

importance, seriousness, or influencehis views all have weight and bottom

informal the buttocks

at bottom in reality; basically or despite appearances to the contraryhe's a kind man at bottom

be at the bottom of to be the ultimate cause of

get to the bottom of to discover the real truth about

knock the bottom out of to destroy or eliminate

adjective (prenominal)

lowest or lastthe bottom price

bet one's bottom dollar on or put one's bottom dollar on to be absolutely sure of (one's opinion, a person, project, etc)

of, relating to, or situated at the bottom or a bottomthe bottom shelf

fundamental; basic

verb

(tr) to provide (a chair, etc) with a bottom or seat

(tr) to discover the full facts or truth of; fathom

(usually foll by on or upon) to base or be founded (on an idea, etc)

(intr) nautical to strike the ground beneath the water with a vessel's bottom

Australian mining

to mine (a hole, claim, etc) deep enough to reach any gold there is
(intr foll by on) to reach (gold, mud, etc) on bottoming

electronics to saturate a transistor so that further increase of input produces no change in output

Word Origin for bottom

Old English botm; related to Old Norse botn, Old High German bodam, Latin fundus, Greek puthmēn

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for at bottom (1 of 2)

bottom

Old English botm, bodan "ground, soil, foundation, lowest part," from Proto-Germanic *buthm- (cf. Old Frisian boden "soil," Old Norse botn, Dutch bodem, Old High German bodam, German Boden "ground, earth, soil"), from PIE root *bhu(n)d(h)- (cf. Sanskrit budhnah, Avestan buna- "bottom," Greek pythmen "foundation," Latin fundus "bottom, piece of land, farm," Old Irish bond "sole of the foot"). Meaning "posterior of a person" is from 1794. Bottom dollar "the last dollar one has" is from 1882. Bottom-feeder, originally of fishes, is from 1866.

Word Origin and History for at bottom (1 of 2)

bottom

1540s, "to put a bottom on," from bottom (n.). Meaning "to reach the bottom of" is from 1808 (earlier figuratively, 1785). Related: Bottomed; bottoming.

Idioms and Phrases with at bottom (1 of 2)

at bottom

Fundamentally, basically; also, in reality. For example, He may speak somewhat bluntly, but at bottom he's always honest. Charles Dickens used this idiom in Nicholas Nickleby (1838): “He's a good pony at bottom.” [Early 1700s]

Idioms and Phrases with at bottom (2 of 2)

bottom

In addition to the idioms beginning with bottom

bottom drops out, the
bottom line
bottom of the barrel
bottom of the ladder
bottom out

also see:

at bottom
from head to toe (top to bottom)
from the bottom of one's heart
get to the bottom
hit (touch) bottom
knock the bottom out of
rock bottom
touch bottom
you bet your ass (bottom dollar)

bottom

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

adjective

Verb Phrases

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Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of bottom

British Dictionary definitions for at bottom

bottom

noun

adjective (prenominal)

verb

Word Origin for bottom

Word Origin and History for at bottom (1 of 2)

bottom

Word Origin and History for at bottom (1 of 2)

bottom

Idioms and Phrases with at bottom (1 of 2)

at bottom

Idioms and Phrases with at bottom (2 of 2)

bottom