tope
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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topes,
present (3rd person singular)
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toped,
past participle, past
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toping
present participle
verb (used with object)
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topes,
present (3rd person singular)
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toped,
past participle, past
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toping
present participle
noun
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a small shark, Galeorhinus galeus, inhabiting waters along the European coast.
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any of various related sharks of small to medium size.
noun
noun
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a small grey requiem shark, Galeorhinus galeus, of European coastal waters
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any of various other small sharks
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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topesimple
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topessimple
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have topedperfect
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has topedperfect
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am topingprogressive
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are topingprogressive
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is topingprogressive
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have been topingperfect progressive
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has been topingperfect progressive
Past
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topedsimple
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had topedperfect
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was topingprogressive
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were topingprogressive
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had been topingperfect progressive
Future
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Natural England's Species Recovery Programme will focus on the blue shark, porbeagle and tope.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Among the species the team hopes to learn more about is the tope shark, which is listed as critically endangered, while basking sharks are classed as endangered.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
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
Here, twisted silver threads represented some great river; there, a sprinkling of rice-like grains, the white bungalows of a cantonment; while occasionally a sombre mass denoted some forest or mango tope.
From The Library Magazine of Select Foreign Literature All volumes by Various
There is one square part remaining much like the base of one of the topes to which it assimilates; the building, is of slabs of wood and stone, intervening.
From Journals of Travels in Assam, Burma, Bhootan, Afghanistan and the Neighbouring Countries by William Griffith
Like the superabounding mango flowerets which carpet the shade of the mango topes in spring time, the rejected pages of his "Dream Journey" were to be found scattered all over the house.
From My Reminiscences by Sasi Kumar Hesh
Of these treasured topes he had indeed, nearly forgotten the taste.
From The Happy Hypocrite A Fairy Tale For Tired Men by Sir Max Beerbohm
Fergusson94 describes topes, or shrines for relics, of very great antiquity, existing in India, Ceylon, Birmah, and Java.
From Ten Great Religions An Essay in Comparative Theology by James Freeman Clarke
Very few villages have been passed, nor does the rare occurrence of topes indicate that there are many near it.
From Journals of Travels in Assam, Burma, Bhootan, Afghanistan and the Neighbouring Countries by William Griffith
They fought against one of the biggest military in Africa only toped by Egypt and won.
From New York Times ● Aug. 31, 2016
They toped out of jolly bottomless cups four sorts of cool, sparkling, pure, delicious, vine-tree sirup, which went down like mother's milk; and healths and bumpers flew about like lightning.
From Gargantua and Pantagruel, Illustrated, Book 5 by Peter Anthony Motteux
What pricked him on from apprenticeship under a toping village sawbones to postgraduate work at the State of Winnemac's great Sears-Roebuckian university was an itching to learn, to know, to do.
From Time Magazine Archive
Two years later he is toping and caroling in an inn, faced with ruin and the loss of Jean Armour, whose father will not let him marry her.
From Time Magazine Archive
Witness 'Terrae Filius 'once more:-- 'Most candidates get leave .... to chuse their own examiners, who never fail to be their old cronies and toping companions....
From Aspects of Modern Oxford by A. D. (Alfred Denis) Godley
A toping bookseller presented a check at the banking-house of Sir W. Curtis and Co., and upon the cashier putting the usual question, "How will you have it?" replied, "Cold, without sugar."
From The Jest Book The Choicest Anecdotes and Sayings by Mark Lemon
The day for oratory, as for toping, is past beyond redemption.
From Yet Again by Sir Max Beerbohm
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
