英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

top-hat (n.)[top-hat 词源字典]: also tophat, 1875, from top (n.1) + hat.[top-hat etymology, top-hat origin, 英语词源]
top-heavy (adj.): 1530s, from top (n.1) + heavy (adj.).
top-notch (adj.): also top notch, 1848, from top (adj.) + notch (n.). Figurative of the "highest point" of something, but the exact mechanical image is uncertain.
top-sider (n.): kind of casual shoe, 1937, from topside in nautical sense of "upper deck of a ship," where the rubber soles would provide good grip; from top (n.1) + side (n.).
topaz (n.): colored crystalline gem, late 13c., from Old French topace (11c.), from Latin topazus (source also of Spanish topacio, Italian topazio), from Greek topazos, topazion, of obscure origin. Pliny says it was named for a remote island in the Red or Arabian Sea, where it was mined, the island so named for being hard to find (from Greek topazein "to divine, to try to locate"); but this might be folk etymology, and instead the word might be from the root of Sanskrit tapas "heat, fire." In the Middle Ages used for almost any yellow stone. To the Greeks and Romans, possibly yellow olivine or yellow sapphire. In modern science, fluo-silicate of aluminum. As a color name from 1908.
tope (v.): "to drink heavily," 1650s, of unknown origin, perhaps ultimately from Italian toppa "done!" a word signifying acceptance of a bet.
Topeka: city in Kansas, U.S.A., from Kansa (Siouan), literally "a good place to dig potatoes;"from /do/ "wild potato" + /ppi/ "good" + /ke/ "to dig."
toper (n.): "heavy drinker," 1670s, agent noun from tope (v.).
Tophet: place near Jerusalem, where, according to the Old Testament, idolatrous Jews made human sacrifice to strange gods; later symbolic of the torments of Hell.
topiary (adj.): 1590s, from Latin topiarius "of or pertaining to ornamental gardening," as a noun, "ornamental gardening, landscape gardening," also "an ornamental gardener," from topia "ornamental gardening," from Greek topia, plural of topion, originally "a field," diminutive of topos "place" (see topos). The noun is first recorded 1906, from the adjective.
topic (n.): 1630s, "a class of considerations from which probable arguments can be drawn," singular form of "Topics" (1560s), the name of a work by Aristotle on logical and rhetorical generalities, from Latin Topica, from Greek Ta Topika, literally "matters concerning topoi," "commonplaces," neuter plural of noun use of topikos "pertaining to a common place, of a place, local," from topos "place" (see topos). The meaning "matter treated in speech or writing, subject, theme" is first recorded 1720.
topical (adj.): 1580s, "pertaining to a place;" see topic + -al (1). Medical sense "applied to a particular part of the body" is from c. 1600. Meaning "of or pertaining to topics of the day" is from 1873. Related: Topically.
topknot (n.): 1680s, "a bow;" 1700, "tuft of hair on the head," from top (adj.) + knot (n.).
topless (adj.): of women, "bare-breasted," 1966, from top (n.1) + -less. Earlier it was used of men's bathing suits (1937) and women's (1964). Earliest sense is "without a visible summit; immeasurably high" (1580s).
topography (n.): early 15c., "description of a place," from Late Latin topographia, from Greek topographia "a description of a place," from topos "place" (see topos) + -graphia (see -graphy). Meaning "collective features of a region" is from 1847. Related: Topographic; topographical; topographically.
topology (n.): 1650s, "study of the locations where plants are found," from topo-, comb. form of Greek topos "place" (see topos) + -logy. Related: Topological.
toponym (n.): 1939, "place name," from comb. form of Greek topos "place" (see topos) + -onym "name" (see name (n.)). Toponymy "study of place names" is from 1876. Related: Toponymic; toponymics.
topos (n.): "literary theme," 1948, from Greek topos, literally "place."
topper (n.): "the best (of anything)," 1709, originally slang, agent noun from top (v.).
topping (n.): "an act of putting a top on," c. 1500, verbal noun from top (v.). Meaning "an act of cutting the top off" is from 1510s. Meaning "top layer of a food" is from 1839,