tope

¹ American  

[tohp] / toʊp /

verb (used without object)

toped, toping

1. to drink alcoholic liquor habitually and to excess.

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verb (used with object)

toped, toping

1. to drink (liquor) habitually and to excess.

tope ² American  

[tohp] / toʊp /

noun

1. a small shark, Galeorhinus galeus, inhabiting waters along the European coast.

2. any of various related sharks of small to medium size.

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tope ³ American  

[tohp] / toʊp /

noun

1. (in Buddhist countries) a dome-shaped monument, usually for religious relics.

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tope ¹ British  

/ təʊp /

noun

1. a small grey requiem shark, Galeorhinus galeus, of European coastal waters

2. any of various other small sharks

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tope ² British  

/ təʊp /

verb

1. to consume (alcoholic drink) as a regular habit, usually in large quantities

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tope ³ British  

/ təʊp /

noun

1. another name for a stupa

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Other Word Forms

• toper
  noun

Etymology

Origin of tope¹

First recorded in 1645–55; of uncertain origin; perhaps a variant of obsolete top “to drink,” in phrase top off, formed on the model of tip off “to drink (a full helping) at a draught,” a special use of top “to tilt”; perhaps from tope, an interjection used in proposing a toast

Origin of tope²

First recorded in 1680–90; of unknown origin

Origin of tope³

First recorded in 1805–15; from Hindi ṭop; probably from Pali or Prakrit thūpo, from Sanskrit stūpa stupa ( def. )

Example Sentences

A range of other species, including tope and smooth-hound sharks often hunted for their meat, and gulper sharks targeted for their liver oil, were placed on Appendix II.

From Barron's • Nov. 28, 2025

The report said shark species including tope, starry smooth hound and spurdog live in the Thames and the there are more than 100 species of fish in the 215-mile long river.

From BBC • Nov. 10, 2021

It also monitors other native shark species like tope, smooth hound, porbeagle and thresher.

From BBC • Aug. 4, 2011

The appointed hour arrived, and we were delighted to see an immense number of people issuing from the fort, and bending their slow and gloomy steps towards the tope.

From Memoirs of the Extraordinary Military Career of John Shipp Late a Lieut. in His Majesty's 87th Regiment by Shipp, John

Indian Balcony Pattern, from steps of tope of Jamal-Zartri, Afghanistan.

From Needlework As Art by Alford, Marianne Margaret Compton Cust, Viscountess