tope
1 Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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:
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
It also monitors other native shark species like tope, smooth hound, porbeagle and thresher.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2011
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
These dagobas, shaped like half an eggshell, are very similar to the topes of India proper.
From The Pearl of India by Ballou, Maturin Murray
The ancient edifices of Chi-Chen in Central America bear a striking resemblance to the topes of India.
From Ceylon; an Account of the Island Physical, Historical, and Topographical with Notices of Its Natural History, Antiquities and Productions, Volume 1 by Tennent, James Emerson, Sir
The country improves towards Dadur, topes becoming more frequent.
From Journals of Travels in Assam, Burma, Bhootan, Afghanistan and the Neighbouring Countries by Griffith, William
And then the halt was called; men wheeled into line; we were dismissed; and soon after we were lounging about, under such shade as we could manage to get in the thin topes of trees.
From Midnight Webs by Fenn, George Manville
The ancient books of the North and South agree as to the places where the topes were built, and no Roman Catholic relics are so well authenticated.
From Ten Great Religions An Essay in Comparative Theology by Clarke, James Freeman
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 Motteux, Peter Anthony
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
This Mufti, in my conscience, is some English renegado, he talks so savourily of toping.
From The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 07 by Scott, Walter, Sir
Anon, anon, sir," was a drawer at the Boar's Head, and quotes from that tombstone the following admonitory epitaph: "Bacchus, to give the toping world surprise, Produced one sober son, and here he lies.
From Inns and Taverns of Old London by Shelley, Henry C. (Henry Charles)
And, at any Rate, an Evening of insipid Musique and weak Tea is better than sitting toping and guzzling after Dinner.
From Manners & Cvftoms of ye Englyfhe Drawn from ye Qvick by Doyle, Richard
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.
