tip

1 of 10

verb (1)

ˈtip 

tipped; tipping

transitive verb

1

: overturn, upset

—usually used with over

2

a

: cant entry 3, tilt

b

: to raise and tilt forward in salute

tipped his hat

intransitive verb

1

: to become tipped : topple

2

: lean, slant

tip

2 of 10

noun (1)

1

: the act or an instance of tipping : tilt

2

chiefly British : a place for depositing something (such as rubbish) by dumping

tip

3 of 10

noun (2)

1

: the usually pointed end of something

a pencil tip

2

: a small piece or part serving as an end, cap, or point

tipped

ˈtipt 

adjective

tip

4 of 10

verb (2)

tipped; tipping

transitive verb

1

a

: to furnish with a tip

b(1)

: to cover or adorn the tip of

(2)

: to blend (furs) for improved appearance by brushing the tips of the hair with dye

2

: to affix (an insert) in a book

—often used with in

3

: to remove the ends of

tip raspberries

tip

5 of 10

verb (3)

tipped; tipping

transitive verb

1

: to strike lightly : tap

2

: to give (something, such as a baseball) a glancing blow

intransitive verb

: tiptoe

tip

6 of 10

noun (3)

: a light touch or blow

tip

7 of 10

noun (4)

1

: a piece of advice or expert or authoritative information

2

: a piece of advance or confidential information given by one thought to have access to special or inside sources

tip

8 of 10

verb (4)

tipped; tipping

transitive verb

1

: to impart a piece of information or advice about or to

—often used with off

2

chiefly British : to mention as a likely candidate, prospective winner, or profitable investment : tout sense 1

tip

9 of 10

verb (5)

tipped; tipping

transitive verb

1

: to give a gratuity to

2

: give, present

this crew has tipped you the black spot

—R. L. Stevenson

intransitive verb

: to bestow a gratuity

tip

10 of 10

noun (5)

: a gift or a sum of money tendered for a service performed or anticipated : gratuity

Phrases

tip the scales

1

: to register weight

tips the scales at 285 pounds

2

: to shift the balance of power or influence

tipped the scales in favor of a declaration of war

—S. F. Bemis

on the tip of one's tongue

1

: about to be uttered

it was on the tip of my tongue to say exactly what I thought

2

: just eluding recall

tip one's hand or less commonly tip one's mitt

: to declare one's intentions or reveal one's opinions or resources

the Justice Department wouldn't tip its hand by saying what its next move … would be

—Newsweek

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• angle
• cant
• cock
• heel
• incline
• lean
• list
• pitch
• slant
• slope
• tilt

Noun (1)

• angling
• bend
• cock
• inclination
• list
• tilt

Noun (2)

• apex
• cusp
• end
• nib
• nose
• pike
• point

Noun (4)

• hint
• lead
• pointer

Noun (5)

• gratuity
• perquisite

Examples of tip in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Read on below: Want more recipes and tips from the Voraciously team? —Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2023

Rumors swirled on social media that Swift would be attending the Sept. 24 Kansas City Chiefs vs. Chicago Bears game just before kickoff, with Bleacher Report posting the tip about where she’d be seated. —Ashley Iasimone, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2023

There are currently no suspects and police are urging anyone with information to come forward and are calling this an active crime scene, offering $1,500 for any tip that leads to an arrest, according to the press release. —Riley Hoffman, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2023

An additional tip: Stop by their tea house for a cup of White Peony. DRINK: The Society Hotel The rooftop coffee bar at The Society Hotel is a must-visit. —Keyaira Boone, Essence, 22 Sep. 2023

The bright blonde tips of her long waves rippled all the way to her midriff. —Gabi Thorne, Allure, 22 Sep. 2023

He was finally caught thanks to a tip received by FBI New Orleans, federal officials said. —Stephen Smith, CBS News, 22 Sep. 2023

Sullivan also weighed in with expert tips for choosing the right curling iron for every hair type and achieving the perfect waves and curls. —Enjanae' Taylor, Southern Living, 22 Sep. 2023

Here’s what registered dietitians say are their best tips for sustainably maintaining weight loss. —Rebecca Jaspan, Mph, Rd, Health, 21 Sep. 2023

Verb

The star's nails, too, were feeling the darkly romantic vibes of the season, filed into long almond shapes and painted with an autumnal burgundy-brown color tipped in black for an autumnal ombré effect. —Kara Nesvig, Allure, 7 Sep. 2023

The Justice Department later took a similar approach against an ex-Coinbase employee who was sentenced to two years in prison for tipping off his brother and a friend about which coins were soon to be listed on the crypto exchange. —Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune Crypto, 7 Sep. 2023

The beefy Challenger 2 has a crew of four and could tip the scales even more grossly to 83 tons when sporting add-on TES armor. —Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 6 Sep. 2023

Lewis notes that this bargain buy was painted on a panel by Renaissance Panels, a brand Wyeth typically used, which tipped her off that this could be the real deal. —Kelsey Mulvey, House Beautiful, 6 Sep. 2023

Part of their training was that they were required to tip their hats to ladies and salute gentlemen customers with a crisp salute worthy of a graduate of the Naval Academy. —Frederick N. Rasmussen, Baltimore Sun, 5 Sep. 2023

Behind the scenes, Zoro’s mouth katana had a lightweight handle and a thin wire tipped with a blue Nerf foam bullet. —Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2023

There will be a delivery fee, and customers are expected to tip drivers, who will be contracted with CRG. —Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Aug. 2023

The movie, which was bought by Neon at Cannes, is hotly tipped to represent France is the Oscar race. —Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 29 Aug. 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English

Noun (2)

Middle English; akin to Middle High German zipf tip, Old English tæppa tap — more at tap entry 3

Verb (2)

Middle English tipped having a tip, from tip entry 3

Noun (3)

Middle English tippe; akin to Low German tippen to tap

Noun (4)

origin unknown

Verb (5)

perhaps from tip entry 5

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1673, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (3)

1567, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (3)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (4)

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (4)

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (5)

circa 1610, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Noun (5)

1755, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tip

• felt-tip pen
• foul tip
• rubbish tip/dump
• on the tip of one's tongue
• tip one's cap/hat
• tip one's hand
• tip (someone) the wink
• tip up
• shift/tip/tilt the balance of power
• hot tip
• tip-in
• filter tip
• tip-off
• felt-tip
• tip over
• white-tip reef shark
• tip the balance
• the tip of the iceberg
• tip of the iceberg
• tip-top
• tip the scales at
• wing tip
• Q-tip
• white-tip shark
• tip one's mitt
• tip the scales

See More

• felt-tip pen
• foul tip
• rubbish tip/dump
• on the tip of one's tongue
• tip one's cap/hat
• tip one's hand
• tip (someone) the wink
• tip up
• shift/tip/tilt the balance of power
• hot tip
• tip-in
• filter tip
• tip-off
• felt-tip
• tip over
• white-tip reef shark
• tip the balance
• the tip of the iceberg
• tip of the iceberg
• tip-top
• tip the scales at
• wing tip
• Q-tip
• white-tip shark
• tip one's mitt
• tip the scales

See More

Video

Some Odd Words with ISMO: "People Tipping"

Comedian ISMO on the complexities of the word 'tip'

Kids Definition

tip

1 of 10 verb

ˈtip 

tipped; tipping

1

: turn over sense 1a

tipped over a glass

2

: to bend from a straight position : slant

the bench tips on the uneven floor

3

: to raise and tilt forward

tipped his hat

tip

2 of 10 noun

: the act or an instance of tipping

a tip of the hat

tip

3 of 10 verb

tipped; tipping

1

: to attach a tip to

2

: to cover or decorate the tip of

tip

4 of 10 noun

1

: the pointed or rounded end of something

2

: a small piece or part serving as an end, cap, or point

tipped

ˈtipt 

adjective

tip

5 of 10 noun

: a light touch or blow : tap

tip

6 of 10 verb

tipped; tipping

: to hit a baseball so that it glances off the bat

tip

7 of 10 noun

: a piece of useful or secret information given

got a tip on how to prepare for the test

tip

8 of 10 verb

tipped; tipping

: to give useful or secret information to

someone must have tipped them off

tip

9 of 10 verb

tipped; tipping

: to give a tip to

tip the waiter

tip

10 of 10 noun

: a small sum of money given for a service

Etymology

Verb

Middle English tipen "to upset, overturn"

Noun

Middle English tip "a pointed end"

Noun

Middle English tippe "a light touch or blow"

Noun

origin unknown

Verb

probably derived from earlier tip (verb) "to strike lightly"

Legal Definition

tip

1 of 2 noun

1

: information provided to the police or authorities regarding crime

2

: a piece of inside information especially of advantage in securities trading

tip

2 of 2 transitive verb

tipped; tipping

: to provide a tip to or about

—often used with off

tipper noun