bottom

American  

[bot-uhm] / ˈbɒt əm /

noun

1. the lowest or deepest part of anything, as distinguished from the top.

   the bottom of a hill;

   the bottom of a page;

   the tea leaves at the bottom of my cup.

   Synonyms:

   pedestal , foot , base

2. the under or lower side; underside.

   The sell-by date is printed on the bottom of the package.

3. the ground under any body of water.

   The study sent a camera to the bottom of the sea.

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

5. Informal.  the buttocks; rump.

6. the seat of a chair.

   Don't sit in that one, the bottom is broken.

7. the fundamental part; basic aspect.

   Synonyms:

   groundwork , foundation

8. the cause; origin; basis.

   Try getting to the bottom of the problem.

   Synonyms:

   wellspring , beginning , genesis , ground , root

9. lowest limit, especially of dignity, status, or rank.

   When people sink that low, they're bound to reach the bottom soon.

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

11. Baseball.

    1. the second half of an inning.

    2. the last three players in the batting order.

12. Nautical.

    1. the part of a hull between the bilges, including the keel.

    2. the part of a hull that is immersed at all times.

    3. the cargo space in a vessel.

    4. a cargo vessel.

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

14. Slang.

    1. (in the LGBTQ community) a person who prefers to take or is currently taking a receptive role in a particular sexual act, especially in anal intercourse.

    2. (especially in BDSM) a person who prefers to take or is currently taking a submissive role in a sexual relationship.

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

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verb (used with object)

1. to furnish with an under or lowest side.

   The oven needed to be bottomed before it could be used.

2. to base or found (usually followed by on orupon ).

   A defense must be bottomed on reliable evidence.

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

4. 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)

1. to be based; rest.

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

3. (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.

4. Slang.

   1. (in the LGBTQ community) to take a receptive role in a particular sexual act, especially in anal intercourse.

   2. (especially in BDSM) to take a submissive role in a sexual relationship or encounter.

adjective

1. of or relating to the bottom or a bottom.

2. located on or at the lowest part or side.

   I want the bottom book in the stack.

3. lowest.

   They sold off the last of the stock at bottom prices.

4. living near or on the bottom.

   A flounder is a bottom fish.

5. fundamental.

   The bottom cause of the issue is a lack of funding.

verb phrase

1. bottom out  to reach the lowest state or level.

   The declining securities market finally bottomed out and began to rise.

idioms

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

2. 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.

3. bet one's bottom dollar,

   1. to wager the last of one's money or resources.

   2. to be positive or assured.

      You can bet your bottom dollar that something will prevent us from leaving on time.

4. at bottom,  in reality; fundamentally: Also at the bottom

   They knew at bottom that they were only deceiving themselves.

bottom British  

/ ˈbɒtəm /

noun

1. the lowest, deepest, or farthest removed part of a thing

   the bottom of a hill

2. the least important or successful position

   the bottom of a class

3. the ground underneath a sea, lake, or river

4. to run aground

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

6. the underneath part of a thing

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

8. (in literary or commercial contexts) a boat or ship

9. billiards snooker a strike in the centre of the cue ball

10. a dry valley or hollow

11. (often plural) the low land bordering a river

12. the lowest level worked in a mine

13. (esp of horses) staying power; stamina

14. importance, seriousness, or influence

    his views all have weight and bottom

15. informal  the buttocks

16. in reality; basically or despite appearances to the contrary

    he's a kind man at bottom

17. to be the ultimate cause of

18. to discover the real truth about

19. to destroy or eliminate

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adjective

1. lowest or last

   the bottom price

2. to be absolutely sure of (one's opinion, a person, project, etc)

3. of, relating to, or situated at the bottom or a bottom

   the bottom shelf

4. fundamental; basic

verb

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

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

3. to base or be founded (on an idea, etc)

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

5. mining

   1. to mine (a hole, claim, etc) deep enough to reach any gold there is

   2. to reach (gold, mud, etc) on bottoming

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

bottom More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing bottom

• 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)

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Other Word Forms

• unbottom verb (used with object)
• underbottom noun

Etymology

Origin of bottom

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

Example Sentences

A party spokesperson said the new leadership model "shows that we really are doing politics differently - from the bottom up, not the top down".

From BBC

So I thought, well I'll just ask Orsoni to supply us with a range so that we could get this transition from light down to dark at the bottom of the well.

From BBC

BRM was founded at the bottom of a garden in the small town of Bourne, Lincolnshire, 80 years ago and went on to win the world title.

From BBC

Predicting when Welsh rugby has actually hit rock bottom has become quite difficult recently.

From BBC

"The current model is so important to Hollywood's bottom line that producers will figure a workaround the tariffs if they are implemented," Timothy Havens, a professor at University of Iowa, told AFP.

From Barron's

Related Words

• basement
• bed
• floor
• ground
• seat
• underside