tip

¹ American  

[tip] / tɪp /

noun

1. a slender or pointed end or extremity, especially of anything long or tapered.

   the tips of the fingers.

2. the top, summit, or apex.

   the tip of the mountain.

3. a small piece or part, as of metal or leather, forming or covering the extremity of something.

   a cane with a rubber tip.

4. 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.

5. a small, delicate tool made of fine hair cemented between two cards, for applying gold leaf.

---

verb (used with object)

tipped, tipping

1. to furnish with a tip.

2. to serve as or form the tip of.

3. to mark or adorn the tip of.

4. to remove the tip or stem of (berries or certain fruits or vegetables).

5. to frost the ends of (hair strands).

   I'm having my hair cut and tipped tomorrow.

verb phrase

1. tip in to paste the inner margin of (a map, illustration, or other plate) into a signature before gathering.

tip ² American  

[tip] / tɪp /

verb (used with object)

tipped, tipping

1. to cause to assume a slanting or sloping position; incline; tilt.

2. to overturn, upset, or overthrow (often followed byover ).

3. to remove or lift (one's hat or cap) in salutation.

4. 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)

tipped, tipping

1. to assume a slanting or sloping position; incline.

2. to tilt up at one end and down at the other; slant.

3. to be overturned or upset.

   The car tipped into the ditch.

4. to tumble or topple (usually followed byover ).

   The lamp on the table tipped over.

noun

1. the act of tipping.

2. the state of being tipped.

3. British.

   1. a dump for refuse, as that from a mine.

   2. Informal. an untidy place, especially a room.

      They must have packed and left in a rush, because the place is an absolute tip.

idioms

1. tip one's hand, to reveal one's plans, true feelings, etc., often unintentionally.

tip ³ American  

[tip] / tɪp /

noun

1. 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.

2. a piece of private or secret information, as for use in betting, speculating, or writing a news story.

   a tip from a bookie.

3. a useful hint or idea; a basic, practical fact.

   tips on painting.

   Synonyms:

   pointer, suggestion

---

verb (used with object)

tipped, tipping

1. to give a gratuity to.

verb (used without object)

tipped, tipping

1. to give a gratuity.

   She tipped lavishly.

verb phrase

1. tip off

   1. to supply with private or secret information; inform.

   2. to warn of impending danger or trouble; caution beforehand.

      The moonshiners had been tipped off that they were about to be raided.

tip ⁴ American  

[tip] / tɪp /

noun

1. a light, smart blow; tap.

2. Baseball. a batted ball that glances off the bat.

---

verb (used with object)

tipped, tipping

1. to strike or hit with a light, smart blow; tap.

2. Baseball. to strike (the ball) with a glancing blow.

tip ¹ British  

/ tɪp /

verb

1. to tilt or cause to tilt

2. to tilt or cause to tilt, so as to overturn or fall

3. to dump (rubbish, etc)

4. to take off, raise, or touch one's hat in salutation

---

noun

1. the act of tipping or the state of being tipped

2. a dump for refuse, etc

tip ² British  

/ tɪp /

noun

1. the extreme end of something, esp a narrow or pointed end

2. the top or summit

3. a small piece forming an extremity or end

   a metal tip on a cane

---

verb

1. to adorn or mark the tip of

2. to cause to form a tip

tip ³ British  

/ tɪp /

noun

1. a payment given for services in excess of the standard charge; gratuity

2. a helpful hint, warning, or other piece of information

3. a piece of inside information, esp in betting or investing

---

verb

1. to give a tip to (a person)

tip ⁴ British  

/ tɪp /

verb

1. to hit or strike lightly

2. to hit (a ball) indirectly so that it glances off the bat in cricket

---

noun

1. a light blow

2. a glancing hit in cricket

tip More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing tip

• from head (tip) to toe
• on the tip of one's tongue

---

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

Explanation

The pointed or tapered end of something is its tip. There's the tip of your dog's wagging tail, the tips of your fingers, or the tip of the continent of South America. When you can almost remember someone's name, you might say it's on the tip of your tongue, and when something's just "the tip of the iceberg," it's only one small bit of a much larger problem. Other meanings of tip include "tilt," like when you tip your hat as you stroll down the street, and "gratuity," or the extra money you give a waiter or barber in exchange for good service.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tip tipped tipping

"I had stability for the first time as I knew what I was earning… and I didn't need to look at a low tip and think what did I do wrong?"

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

Alongside counting calories or eating smaller portions, many people add exercise into the equation when trying to lose weight to help tip the balance.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026

Thursday’s game was difficult from the opening tip.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Do you have an investing tip that changed your life?

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

The whole tip of the Mountain was hollow, making a vast cavern of rock, snow, and ice.

From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda

It was around this time that a former colleague at Cambridge got in touch and tipped Cofnas off about Arday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Or maybe Harp’s relationship with Trump really hasn’t tipped into romance.

From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026

Bessent hasn’t tipped his hand as to exactly what he or President Donald Trump would target in their new effort.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

The South Korean megastars were widely tipped in the running for several of the Grammys' top honours, including Album of the Year, after their comeback album, ARIRANG, became one of this year's best-selling hits.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

I stood and shook the snow out of my clothes—it was actually packed in my ears—and tipped the sled upright.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen

However, given the growth of what has been called "tipping fatigue" – people being increasingly annoyed at having to pay high tips – will more restaurants stop the practice?

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

That month, the reports pointed to a decrease in leverage in the tech sector, tipping traders off that someone focused on those stocks was likely in trouble.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

"We are at a tipping point," said Weingart.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

Scientists have long viewed this Atlantic 'heat engine' as a system that could cross a tipping point.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026

As his car pulled through the gate, the president acknowledged the women by tipping his hat in their direction, but he did not smile.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Related Words

• bend
• dump
• lean
• spill
• tilt
• topple
• upset