See top and tail in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
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"The top and bottom of something."
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},
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{
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{
"_dis": "14 17 6 13 9 14 10 16",
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"To add to the beginning and end of (something), such as the salutation and valediction added to a letter."
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"(transitive) To add to the beginning and end of (something), such as the salutation and valediction added to a letter."
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"tags": [
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{
"categories": [],
"glosses": [
"To remove the top and bottom of (an item), for example when preparing carrots for cooking."
],
"id": "en-top_and_tail-en-verb-5AEpmzJo",
"links": [
[
"carrot",
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"(transitive) To remove the top and bottom of (an item), for example when preparing carrots for cooking."
],
"tags": [
"transitive"
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},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "topical",
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"name": "Broadcasting",
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{
"_dis": "14 17 6 13 9 14 10 16",
"kind": "other",
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"_dis": "25 9 1 21 3 29 3 10",
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{
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"examples": [
{
"ref": "2002, Carole Fleming, The Radio Handbook, page 128:",
"text": "They are retrieved when needed, topped and tailed ready for use, and stored on the newsroom system […]",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2013, Jeff Burger, Springsteen on Springsteen:",
"text": "“Roger—a lovely man, great DJ, and huge Bruce fan—got the interview for [London's] Capital Radio,” rock journalist Patrick Humphries told me. “He liked the Springsteen book I'd done so I transcribed the tape and topped and tailed it. […]",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To set the limits of (an audio tape recording, a digital video file, etc.) by adding physical markers or by trimming unwanted portions."
],
"id": "en-top_and_tail-en-verb-ngI96A9F",
"links": [
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"(transitive, broadcasting) To set the limits of (an audio tape recording, a digital video file, etc.) by adding physical markers or by trimming unwanted portions."
],
"tags": [
"transitive"
],
"topics": [
"broadcasting",
"media"
]
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}
],
"glosses": [
"To bathe (a small child) in a minimal way by wiping its face and bottom."
],
"id": "en-top_and_tail-en-verb-5cGc17Br",
"raw_glosses": [
"(transitive, colloquial) To bathe (a small child) in a minimal way by wiping its face and bottom."
],
"tags": [
"colloquial",
"transitive"
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},
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{
"ref": "2018, Nicholas Wilcock, Arriva Trains Wales:",
"text": "All services to Rhymney were top and tailed by locos that had been associated with the line over the years; namely, Classes 33, 37, 47 and 50.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2021 October 6, “News in pictures: Final journey for damaged Class 507”, in RAIL, number 941, page 30, photo caption:",
"text": "Railway Support Services repaired the damaged drawgear to enable the unit to be top-and-tailed to Peel Ports' Alexandra Dock (Liverpool) by Rail Operations Group 57310 and 57312, [...].",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To provide (a train) with a locomotive at each end, for ease of reversal."
],
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],
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"(transitive, rail transport, UK) To provide (a train) with a locomotive at each end, for ease of reversal."
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"UK",
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"word": "top and tail"
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"examples": [
{
"ref": "1948, Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene (Great Britain), The Journal of the Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene:",
"text": "For this reason also we usually advise that the children are placed \"top and tail\" alternately so that each child's head is at least six feet from the next one.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1983, New Writing Scotland:",
"text": "There were seven chisels in my father's toolbox laid top and tail about like sardines or packed on their sides like bottles of wine yet each one different suited and ground to its own purpose and buffed to a misty mirror-finish",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2010 March 15, Sue Bruley, The Women and Men of 1926: A Gender and Social History of the General Strike and Miners' Lockout in South Wales, University of Wales Press, →ISBN, page 35:",
"text": "The remaining children would almost always share beds, often sleeping 'top and tail' to squeeze in as many as possible into one bed.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Lined up in alternating directions; (of humans specifically) lying side-by-side with each person's head by their neighbours' feet."
],
"id": "en-top_and_tail-en-adv-L5Oq-6Sj",
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"not-comparable"
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"examples": [
{
"ref": "2022 May 5, Peter Green, English Electric Class 50 Diesels: From the Western Region to Preservation, Pen and Sword Transport, →ISBN, page 129:",
"text": "The Class 50s headed the train from Bristol Temple Meads to Cornwall and back to Bristol, running top and tail on the Cornish branches.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"With a locomotive at each end."
],
"id": "en-top_and_tail-en-adv-bCzkhAJQ",
"links": [
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],
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"(rail transport, UK) With a locomotive at each end."
],
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],
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"word": "top and tail"
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"form": "tops and tails",
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{
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"The top and bottom of something."
]
}
],
"word": "top and tail"
}
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{
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{
"form": "topping and tailing",
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{
"form": "top and tailing",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
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{
"form": "topped and tailed",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
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},
{
"form": "topped and tailed",
"tags": [
"past"
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},
{
"form": "top and tailed",
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{
"form": "top and tailed",
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],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
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{
"categories": [
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"To add to the beginning and end of (something), such as the salutation and valediction added to a letter."
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"salutation",
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"(transitive) To add to the beginning and end of (something), such as the salutation and valediction added to a letter."
],
"tags": [
"transitive"
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},
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"English transitive verbs"
],
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"To remove the top and bottom of (an item), for example when preparing carrots for cooking."
],
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[
"carrot",
"carrot"
]
],
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"(transitive) To remove the top and bottom of (an item), for example when preparing carrots for cooking."
],
"tags": [
"transitive"
]
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"English transitive verbs",
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"examples": [
{
"ref": "2002, Carole Fleming, The Radio Handbook, page 128:",
"text": "They are retrieved when needed, topped and tailed ready for use, and stored on the newsroom system […]",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2013, Jeff Burger, Springsteen on Springsteen:",
"text": "“Roger—a lovely man, great DJ, and huge Bruce fan—got the interview for [London's] Capital Radio,” rock journalist Patrick Humphries told me. “He liked the Springsteen book I'd done so I transcribed the tape and topped and tailed it. […]",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To set the limits of (an audio tape recording, a digital video file, etc.) by adding physical markers or by trimming unwanted portions."
],
"links": [
[
"broadcasting",
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]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(transitive, broadcasting) To set the limits of (an audio tape recording, a digital video file, etc.) by adding physical markers or by trimming unwanted portions."
],
"tags": [
"transitive"
],
"topics": [
"broadcasting",
"media"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English colloquialisms",
"English transitive verbs"
],
"glosses": [
"To bathe (a small child) in a minimal way by wiping its face and bottom."
],
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"(transitive, colloquial) To bathe (a small child) in a minimal way by wiping its face and bottom."
],
"tags": [
"colloquial",
"transitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
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"English terms with quotations",
"English transitive verbs",
"Quotation templates to be cleaned",
"en:Rail transportation"
],
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{
"ref": "2018, Nicholas Wilcock, Arriva Trains Wales:",
"text": "All services to Rhymney were top and tailed by locos that had been associated with the line over the years; namely, Classes 33, 37, 47 and 50.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2021 October 6, “News in pictures: Final journey for damaged Class 507”, in RAIL, number 941, page 30, photo caption:",
"text": "Railway Support Services repaired the damaged drawgear to enable the unit to be top-and-tailed to Peel Ports' Alexandra Dock (Liverpool) by Rail Operations Group 57310 and 57312, [...].",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To provide (a train) with a locomotive at each end, for ease of reversal."
],
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[
"rail transport",
"rail transport"
],
[
"train",
"train"
],
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"locomotive"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(transitive, rail transport, UK) To provide (a train) with a locomotive at each end, for ease of reversal."
],
"tags": [
"UK",
"transitive"
],
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"rail-transport",
"railways",
"transport"
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{
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{
"ref": "1948, Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene (Great Britain), The Journal of the Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene:",
"text": "For this reason also we usually advise that the children are placed \"top and tail\" alternately so that each child's head is at least six feet from the next one.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1983, New Writing Scotland:",
"text": "There were seven chisels in my father's toolbox laid top and tail about like sardines or packed on their sides like bottles of wine yet each one different suited and ground to its own purpose and buffed to a misty mirror-finish",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2010 March 15, Sue Bruley, The Women and Men of 1926: A Gender and Social History of the General Strike and Miners' Lockout in South Wales, University of Wales Press, →ISBN, page 35:",
"text": "The remaining children would almost always share beds, often sleeping 'top and tail' to squeeze in as many as possible into one bed.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Lined up in alternating directions; (of humans specifically) lying side-by-side with each person's head by their neighbours' feet."
],
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[
"side-by-side",
"side-by-side"
]
],
"tags": [
"not-comparable"
]
},
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"categories": [
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"English terms with quotations",
"en:Rail transportation"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2022 May 5, Peter Green, English Electric Class 50 Diesels: From the Western Region to Preservation, Pen and Sword Transport, →ISBN, page 129:",
"text": "The Class 50s headed the train from Bristol Temple Meads to Cornwall and back to Bristol, running top and tail on the Cornish branches.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"With a locomotive at each end."
],
"links": [
[
"rail transport",
"rail transport"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(rail transport, UK) With a locomotive at each end."
],
"tags": [
"UK",
"not-comparable"
],
"topics": [
"rail-transport",
"railways",
"transport"
]
}
],
"word": "top and tail"
}
Download raw JSONL data for top and tail meaning in English (7.6kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-02-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-20 using wiktextract (05fdf6b and 9dbd323). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.