the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience; "the gist of the prosecutor's argument"; "the heart and soul of the Republican Party"; "the nub of the story"
a single whole grain of a cereal; "a kernel of corn"
the inner and usually edible part of a seed or grain or nut or fruit stone; "black walnut kernels are difficult to get out of the shell"
a small margin; "the president was not humbled by his narrow margin of victory"; "the landslide he had in the electoral college obscured the narrowness of a victory based on just 43% of the popular vote"
a garment (especially for women) that extends from the shoulders to the waist or hips; "he stared as she buttoned her top"
covering for a hole (especially a hole in the top of a container); "he removed the top of the carton"; "he couldn't get the top off of the bottle"; "put the cover back on the kettle"
a conical child's plaything tapering to a steel point on which it can be made to spin; "he got a bright red top and string for his birthday"
platform surrounding the head of a lower mast
the greatest possible intensity; "he screamed at the top of his lungs"
the highest or uppermost side of anything; "put your books on top of the desk"; "only the top side of the box was painted"
the upper part of anything; "the mower cuts off the tops of the grass"; "the title should be written at the top of the first page"
the first half of an inning; while the visiting team is at bat; "a relief pitcher took over in the top of the fifth"
finish up or conclude; "They topped off their dinner with a cognac"; "top the evening with champagne"
cut the top off; "top trees and bushes"
strike (the top part of a ball in golf, baseball, or pool) giving it a forward spin
reach or ascend the top of; "The hikers topped the mountain just before noon"
provide with a top; "the towers were topped with conical roofs"
be at the top of or constitute the top or highest point; "A star tops the Christmas Tree"
a measuring instrument that sends out an acoustic pulse in water and measures distances in terms of the time for the echo of the pulse to return; "sonar is an acronym for sound navigation ranging"; "asdic is an acronym for antisubmarine detection investigation committee"
having a bearing on or connection with the subject at issue; "the scientist corresponds with colleagues in order to learn about matters relevant to her own research"