Top-hamper Top"-ham`per noun (Nautical) The upper rigging, spars, etc., of a ship. [ Written also top hamper .]

All the ships of the fleet . . . were so encumbered with tophamper , so overweighted in proportion to their draught of water, that they could bear but little canvas, even with smooth seas and light and favorable winds.

Motley.

Top-heavy Top"-heav`y adjective Having the top or upper part too heavy for the lower part. Sir H. Wotton.

Top-light Top"-light` noun (Nautical) A lantern or light on the top of a vessel.

Top-proud Top"-proud` adjective Proud to the highest degree. [ R.] "This top-proud fellow." Shak.

Top-rope Top"-rope` noun (Nautical) A rope used for hoisting and lowering a topmast, and for other purposes.

Top-shaped Top"-shaped` adjective Having the shape of a top; (Botany) cone-shaped, with the apex downward; turbinate.

Top-shell Top"-shell` noun (Zoology) Any one of numerous species of marine top-shaped shells of the genus Trochus , or family Trochidæ .

Top-tackle Top"-tac`kle noun (Nautical) A tackle used in hoisting and lowering the topmast.

Top-timbers Top"-tim`bers noun (Nautical) The highest timbers on the side of a vessel, being those above the futtocks. R. H. Dana, Jr.

Top-tool Top"-tool` (-tōl`) noun (Blacksmithing.) A tool applied to the top of the work, in distinction from a tool inserted in the anvil and on which the work is placed.

Toparch To"parch noun [ Latin toparcha , Greek ...; ... a place + ... to govern, to rule.] The ruler or principal man in a place or country; the governor of a toparchy.

The prince and toparch of that country.

Fuller.

Toparchy To"parch·y noun ; plural Toparchies . [ Latin toparchia , Greek .... See Toparch .] A small state, consisting of a few cities or towns; a petty country governed by a toparch; as, Judea was formerly divided into ten toparchies . Fuller.

Topau To"pau noun (Zoology) The rhinocerous bird (a) .

Topaz To"paz noun [ Middle English topas , French topaze , Latin topazos , or topazion , a kind of precious stone, Greek to`pazos , topa`zion ; possibly akin to Sanskrit tap to glow (cf. Tepid ). According to some, the name is from Topazos , a small island in the Red Sea, where the Romans obtained a stone which they called by this name, but which is the chrysolite of the moderns.] 1. (Min.) A mineral occurring in rhombic prisms, generally yellowish and pellucid, also colorless, and of greenesh, bluish, or brownish shades. It sometimes occurs massive and opaque. It is a fluosilicate of alumina, and is used as a gem. 2. (Zoology) Either one of two species of large, brilliantly colored humming birds of the Topaza , of South America and the West Indies. » The two tail feathers next to the central ones are much longer that the rest, curved, and crossed. The Throat is metallic yellowish-green, with a tint like topaz in the center, the belly is bright crimson, the back bright red. Called also topaz hummer . False topaz . (Min.) See the Note under Quartz .

Topazolite To·paz"o·lite noun [ Topaz + - lite ; confer French topazolithe .] (Min.) A topaz-yellow variety of garnet.

Topcoat Top"coat` noun An outer coat; an overcoat.

Tope Tope (tōp) noun [ Probably from Sanskrit stūpa a tope, a stupa, through Prakrit thūpo .] A moundlike Buddhist sepulcher, or memorial monument, often erected over a Buddhist relic.

Tope Tope noun [ Tamil tōppu .] A grove or clump of trees; as, a toddy tope . [ India] Whitworth.

Tope Tope noun 1. (Zoology) A small shark or dogfish ( Galeorhinus, or Galeus, galeus ), native of Europe, but found also on the coasts of California and Tasmania; -- called also toper , oil shark , miller's dog , and penny dog . 2. (Zoology) The wren. [ Prov. Eng.]

Tope Tope intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Toped (tōpt); present participle & verbal noun Toping .] [ French tôper to cover a stake in playing at dice, to accept an offer, tôpe agreed!; -- perhaps imitative of the sound of striking hands on concluding a bargain. From being used in English as a drinking term, probably at first in accepting a toast.] To drink hard or frequently; to drink strong or spiritous liquors to excess.

If you tope in form, and treat.

Dryden.

Topek To"pek noun [ Eskimo tupek .] An ESkimo house made of material other than snow, esp. one having walls of turf, driftwood, rock, or skin, and a roof of skins of the walrus or seal. In Alaska it is often partially underground and covered with timber and turf. Topeks are also used by Indians of the lower Yukon region.

Toper To"per (tō"pẽr) noun One who topes, or drinks frequently or to excess; a drunkard; a sot.

Topet Top"et noun [ French toupet tuft. See Touper .] (Zoology) The European crested titmouse. [ Prov. Eng.]

Topful Top"ful adjective Full to the top, ore brim; brimfull. " Topful of direst cruelty." Shak.

[ He] was so topful of himself, that he let it spill on all the company.

I. Watts.

Topgallant Top`gal"lant adjective 1. (Nautical) Situated above the topmast and below the royal mast; designatb, or pertaining to, the third spars in order from the deck; as, the topgallant mast, yards, braces, and the like. See Illustration of Ship . 2. Fig.: Highest; elevated; splendid. "The consciences of topgallant sparks." L'Estrange. Topgallant breeze , a breeze in which the topgallant sails may properly be carried.

Topgallant Top`gal"lant noun 1. (Nautical) A topgallant mast or sail. 2. Fig.: Anything elevated or splendid. Bacon.

Toph Toph noun [ Latin tophus , tofus , tufa, or tuft. Confer Tufa , Tofus , Tophus .] (Min.) kind of sandstone.

Tophaceous To·pha"ceous adjective [ Latin tophaceus , tofaceus .] Gritty; sandy; rough; stony.

Tophet To"phet noun [ Hebrew tōphet , literally, a place to be spit upon, an abominable place, from tūph to spit out.] A place lying east or southeast of Jerusalem, in the valley of Hinnom. [ Written also Topheth .]

And he defiled Topheth , which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom.

2 Kings xxiii. 10. » It seems to have been at first part of the royal garden, but it was afterwards defiled and polluted by the sacrifices of Baal and the fires of Moloch, and resounded with the cries of burning infants. At a later period, its altars and high places were thrown down, and all the filth of the city poured into it, until it became the abhorrence of Jerusalem, and, in symbol, the place where are wailing and gnashing of teeth.

The pleasant valley of Hinnom, Tophet thence
And black Gehenna called, the type of hell.

Milton.

Tophin Toph"in noun (Min.) Same as Toph .

Tophus To"phus noun ; plural Tophi . [ New Latin : confer French tophus a mineral concretion in the joint. See Toph .] [ Written also tofus .] 1. (Medicine) One of the mineral concretions about the joints, and in other situations, occurring chiefly in gouty persons. They consist usually of urate of sodium; when occurring in the internal organs they are also composed of phosphate of calcium. 2. (Min.) Calcareous tufa.

Topi To"pi noun An antelope ( Damaliscus corrigum jimela ) having a glossy purplish brown coat. It is related to the blesbok and is native of British East Africa. Also, any of various related varieties of other districts south of the Sahara.

Topiarian Top`i·a"ri·an adjective [ See Toplary .] Of or pertaining to the ornamental cutting and trimming of trees, hedges, etc.; practicing ornamental gardening. [ R.] "The topiarian artist." Sir W. Scott.

All the pedantries of the topiarian art.

C. Kingsley.

Topiary Top"i·a·ry adjective [ Latin topiarius belonging to ornamental gardening, from topia (sc. opera ) ornamental gardening, from Greek ... a place.] Of or pertaining to ornamental gardening; produced by cutting, trimming, etc.; topiarian. Topiary work , arbors, shrubbery, hedges, or the like, cut and trimmed into fanciful forms, as of animals, buildings, etc.

Topic Top"ic noun [ French topiques , plural, Latin topica the title of a work of Aristotle, Greek topika` , from topiko`s of or for place, concerning to`poi , or commonplaces, from to`pos a place.] (a) One of the various general forms of argument employed in probable as distinguished from demonstrative reasoning, -- denominated by Aristotle to`poi (literally, places), as being the places or sources from which arguments may be derived, or to which they may be referred; also, a prepared form of argument, applicable to a great variety of cases, with a supply of which the ancient rhetoricians and orators provided themselves; a commonplace of argument or oratory. (b) plural A treatise on forms of argument; a system or scheme of forms or commonplaces of argument or oratory; as, the Topics of Aristotle.

These topics , or loci, were no other than general ideas applicable to a great many different subjects, which the orator was directed to consult.

Blair.

In this question by [ reason] I do not mean a distinct topic , but a transcendent that runs through all topics .

Jer. Taylor. 2. An argument or reason. [ Obsolete]

Contumacious persons, who are not to be fixed by any principles, whom no topics can work upon.

Bp. Wilkins. 3. The subject of any distinct portion of a discourse, or argument, or literary composition; also, the general or main subject of the whole; a matter treated of; a subject, as of conversation or of thought; a matter; a point; a head. 4. (Medicine) An external local application or remedy, as a plaster, a blister, etc. [ Obsoles.] Wiseman.

Topic Top"ic adjective Topical. Drayton. Holland.

Topical Top"ic·al adjective [ Confer French topique , Late Latin topicus , Greek .... See Topic , noun ] 1. Of or pertaining to a place; limited; logical application; as, a topical remedy; a topical claim or privilege. 2. (Rhet. & logic) Pertaining to, or consisting of, a topic or topics; according to topics. 3. Resembling a topic, or general maxim; hence, not demonstrative, but merely probable, as an argument.

Evidences of fact can be no more than topical and probable.

Sir M. Hale.

Topically Top"ic·al·ly adverb In a topical manner; with application to, or limitation of, a particular place or topic.

Topknot Top"knot` noun 1. A crest or knot of feathers upon the head or top, as of a bird; also, an orgamental knot worn on top of the head, as by women.

A great, stout servant girl, with cheeks as red as her topknot .

Sir W. Scott. 2. (Zoology) A small Europen flounder ( Rhoumbus punctatus ). The name is also applied to allied species.

Topless Top"less adjective Having no top, or no visble fop; hence, fig.: very lofty; supreme; unequaled. " The topless Apennines." " Topless fortunes." Beau. & Fl.

Topman Top"man noun ; plural Topmem 1. See Topsman , 2. 2. (Nautical) A man stationed in the top.

Topmast Top"mast noun (Nautical) The second mast, or that which is next above the lower mast, and below the topgallant mast.

Topmost Top"most` adjective Highest; uppermost; as, the topmost cliff; the topmost branch of a tree.

The nightngale may claim the topmost bough.

Cowper.

Topographer To·pog"ra·pher noun [ Confer French topographe , Cr. ... .] One who is skilled in the science of topography; one who describes a particular place, town, city, or tract of land.

Dante is the one authorized topographer of the mediæval hell.

Milman.

Topographic Top`o·graph"ic adjective Top`o*graph"ic*al [ Confer French topographique .] Of or pertaining to topography; descriptive of a place. -- Top`o*graph"ic*al*ly , adverb Topographical map . See under Cadastral . -- Topographical surveying. See under Surveying .

Topographist To·pog"ra·phist noun A topographer.

Topography To·pog"ra·phy noun [ French topographie , Greek ...; ... a place + ... to write.] The description of a particular place, town, manor, parish, or tract of land; especially, the exact and scientific delineation and description in minute detail of any place or region. » Topography , as the description of particular places, is distinguished from chorography , the description of a region or a district, and for geography , the description of the earth or of countries. Brande & C.

Topology To·pol"o·gy noun [ Greek ... place + - logy .] The art of, or method for, assisting the memory by associating the thing or subject to be remembered with some place. [ R.]

Toponomy To·pon"o·my noun [ Greek ... place + ... to distribute.] The designation of position and direction. B. G. Wilder.

Toponym Top"o·nym noun A name of a place; more broadly, a name, as in the binomial name of a plant, based on, or derived from, a place name, or based on the location of the thing named.