topi

1 of 2

noun (1)

to·​pi

variant of topee

: a lightweight helmet-shaped hat made of pith or cork

topi

2 of 2

noun (2)

to·​pi ˈtō-pē How to pronounce topi (audio)
plural topi or topis
: a sub-Saharan antelope (Damaliscus lunatus synonym D. korrigum) having a glossy usually reddish-brown coat with purplish-black and yellowish markings

Examples of topi in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Rangers identified it as an albino tiang, or Northern topi, officials said. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2025 The first five gurus, a succession of prophet-leaders, likely donned the seli topi, a woven cap worn by Hindus and Muslims and associated with humility and spiritual living. Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 21 June 2025 More than a million wildebeest along with hundreds of thousands of zebra, topi and other gazelle start their annual journey in the Serengeti National Park creating the largest herd movement of animals on the planet. Chadd Scott, Forbes, 4 May 2023 Male topi antelopes, for example, falsely sound the alarm if a female starts to leave their display arenas. Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Mar. 2021 Ungulates like impala, topi, zebra, buffalos, and warthogs continued to graze in the same areas as livestock, competing for food. Benedict Moran, National Geographic, 7 May 2019 Between 1983 and 1995, while the Lord’s Resistance Army terrorised Uganda, topi and roan, two species of antelope, were wiped out completely in the country’s Pian Upe reserve. The Economist, 11 Jan. 2018 Because their prevarication employs the fear of death, topi are among the most successful, too. Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 24 May 2010

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

perhaps from Swahili

First Known Use

Noun (2)

1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of topi was in 1894

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Cite this Entry

“Topi.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/topi. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.

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