"top shelf" meaning in English

See top shelf in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

Audio: En-au-top shelf.ogg Forms: top-shelf [alternative]
Etymology: * (US: best, or high quality): Possibly from the higher quality, thus more expensive, thus less often used liquors being stored on the less accessible top shelf behind a wet bar. * (British: material with adult content): Such material is often stored on the top shelf in a newsagent's shop, where it is both less visible and harder to reach without being seen. Etymology templates: {{sense|US: best, or high quality}} (US: best, or high quality):, {{sense|British: material with adult content}} (British: material with adult content): Head templates: {{en-adj|-}} top shelf (not comparable)
  1. (US, idiomatic) Best, or high quality. Tags: US, idiomatic, not-comparable
    Sense id: en-top_shelf-en-adj-Asu8~~ch Categories (other): American English, English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 55 32 13 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 55 41 5 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 55 36 9 Synonyms: top notch, ace [Britain, slang], admirable, awe-inspiring, awesome [colloquial], bang on, bang-up, based, beneship, bitching [slang], bomb [slang], brilliant, bully, cher [New-Zealand], choice, chronic [slang], chur [New-Zealand], cock on, cool [slang], copacetic, crackerjack, cushty [Britain, slang], dank [slang], def [slang], dope [slang], excellent, exceptional, fab [slang], fabulous, fantabulosa [Polari], fantastic, finger-lickin' good [figuratively], fireball [slang], first-rate, fly [slang], frabjous, gnarly, great, grouse [Australia, New-Zealand, slang], kicking [slang], killer [slang], lash [Britain, dialectal], lautitious, lit [slang], marvelous, nang [Multicultural-London-English], outstanding, out of sight, phat [slang], peng [Multicultural-London-English], phenomenal, pukka [Britain, slang], quality [slang], rad [slang], radical [slang], rum [obsolete], sick [slang], slap-up, slick [slang], spiffing, splendid, sterling, super, superb, superior, sweet [slang], swell [slang], terrific, tight [slang], top, top-drawer, top-hole [British, dated], top-notch, top-of-the-range, top-shelf, topping [British, dated], tubular [slang], wicked [slang], wicked pissah [New-England, slang], wonderful, worldie [UK, slang]
  2. (British, idiomatic) Describing books, magazines, or movies that have adult content or softcore pornography. Tags: British, idiomatic, not-comparable
    Sense id: en-top_shelf-en-adj-n5LYrkKM Categories (other): British English

Noun

Audio: En-au-top shelf.ogg Forms: top shelves [plural], top-shelf [alternative]
Etymology: * (US: best, or high quality): Possibly from the higher quality, thus more expensive, thus less often used liquors being stored on the less accessible top shelf behind a wet bar. * (British: material with adult content): Such material is often stored on the top shelf in a newsagent's shop, where it is both less visible and harder to reach without being seen. Etymology templates: {{sense|US: best, or high quality}} (US: best, or high quality):, {{sense|British: material with adult content}} (British: material with adult content): Head templates: {{en-noun|top shelves}} top shelf (plural top shelves)
  1. (Canada, ice hockey) The upper part of the goal. Tags: Canada
    Sense id: en-top_shelf-en-noun-86tqvc3l Categories (other): Canadian English, Ice hockey Topics: hobbies, ice-hockey, lifestyle, skating, sports

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "US: best, or high quality"
      },
      "expansion": "(US: best, or high quality):",
      "name": "sense"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "British: material with adult content"
      },
      "expansion": "(British: material with adult content):",
      "name": "sense"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "* (US: best, or high quality): Possibly from the higher quality, thus more expensive, thus less often used liquors being stored on the less accessible top shelf behind a wet bar.\n* (British: material with adult content): Such material is often stored on the top shelf in a newsagent's shop, where it is both less visible and harder to reach without being seen.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "top-shelf",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
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      "args": {
        "1": "-"
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      "expansion": "top shelf (not comparable)",
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
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          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "55 32 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "55 41 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
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          "_dis": "55 36 9",
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          "source": "w+disamb"
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          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              21,
              30
            ]
          ],
          "text": "I bought a bottle of top shelf whiskey.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Best, or high quality."
      ],
      "id": "en-top_shelf-en-adj-Asu8~~ch",
      "links": [
        [
          "Best",
          "best"
        ],
        [
          "high",
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        ],
        [
          "quality",
          "quality"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US, idiomatic) Best, or high quality."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "top notch"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "Britain",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "ace"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "admirable"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "awe-inspiring"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "colloquial"
          ],
          "word": "awesome"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "bang on"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "bang-up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "based"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "beneship"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
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          "word": "bitching"
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        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
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          "word": "bomb"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "brilliant"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "bully"
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        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "New-Zealand"
          ],
          "word": "cher"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "choice"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "chronic"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "New-Zealand"
          ],
          "word": "chur"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "cock on"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "cool"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "copacetic"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "crackerjack"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "Britain",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "cushty"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "dank"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "def"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "dope"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "excellent"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "exceptional"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "fab"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "fabulous"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "Polari"
          ],
          "word": "fantabulosa"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "fantastic"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "figuratively"
          ],
          "word": "finger-lickin' good"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "fireball"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "first-rate"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "fly"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "frabjous"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "gnarly"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "great"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "Australia",
            "New-Zealand",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "grouse"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "kicking"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "killer"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "Britain",
            "dialectal"
          ],
          "word": "lash"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "lautitious"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "lit"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "marvelous"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "Multicultural-London-English"
          ],
          "word": "nang"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "outstanding"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "out of sight"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "phat"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "Multicultural-London-English"
          ],
          "word": "peng"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "phenomenal"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "Britain",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "pukka"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "quality"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "rad"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "radical"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "obsolete"
          ],
          "word": "rum"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "sick"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "slap-up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "slick"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "spiffing"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "splendid"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "sterling"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "super"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "superb"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "superior"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "sweet"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "swell"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "terrific"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "tight"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "top"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "top-drawer"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "British",
            "dated"
          ],
          "word": "top-hole"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "top-notch"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "top-of-the-range"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "top-shelf"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "British",
            "dated"
          ],
          "word": "topping"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "tubular"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "wicked"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "New-England",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "wicked pissah"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "wonderful"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "UK",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "worldie"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "idiomatic",
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "British English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
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      "examples": [
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          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              180,
              189
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2008, Rick Wakeman, Martin Roach, Grumpy Old Rock Star, →ISBN, page 83:",
          "text": "Most of the band used to buy Autotrader to read on the various bus and plane journeys, but Barry would always turn up with a copy of Underwear Unlimited or some other seedy little top-shelf mag.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Describing books, magazines, or movies that have adult content or softcore pornography."
      ],
      "id": "en-top_shelf-en-adj-n5LYrkKM",
      "links": [
        [
          "book",
          "book#English"
        ],
        [
          "magazine",
          "magazine#English"
        ],
        [
          "movie",
          "movie#English"
        ],
        [
          "adult",
          "adult#English"
        ],
        [
          "softcore",
          "softcore#English"
        ],
        [
          "pornography",
          "pornography#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(British, idiomatic) Describing books, magazines, or movies that have adult content or softcore pornography."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "British",
        "idiomatic",
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-top shelf.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/00/En-au-top_shelf.ogg/En-au-top_shelf.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/En-au-top_shelf.ogg"
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  ],
  "word": "top shelf"
}

{
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        "1": "US: best, or high quality"
      },
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      "name": "sense"
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      "args": {
        "1": "British: material with adult content"
      },
      "expansion": "(British: material with adult content):",
      "name": "sense"
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  ],
  "etymology_text": "* (US: best, or high quality): Possibly from the higher quality, thus more expensive, thus less often used liquors being stored on the less accessible top shelf behind a wet bar.\n* (British: material with adult content): Such material is often stored on the top shelf in a newsagent's shop, where it is both less visible and harder to reach without being seen.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "top shelves",
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        "plural"
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    },
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        "alternative"
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        "1": "top shelves"
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      "name": "en-noun"
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Canadian English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
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          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Ice hockey",
          "orig": "en:Ice hockey",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
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        "The upper part of the goal."
      ],
      "id": "en-top_shelf-en-noun-86tqvc3l",
      "links": [
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          "ice hockey",
          "ice hockey"
        ],
        [
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      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Canada, ice hockey) The upper part of the goal."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Canada"
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      "topics": [
        "hobbies",
        "ice-hockey",
        "lifestyle",
        "skating",
        "sports"
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    }
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      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/En-au-top_shelf.ogg"
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  "word": "top shelf"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
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        "1": "US: best, or high quality"
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      "expansion": "(US: best, or high quality):",
      "name": "sense"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "British: material with adult content"
      },
      "expansion": "(British: material with adult content):",
      "name": "sense"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "* (US: best, or high quality): Possibly from the higher quality, thus more expensive, thus less often used liquors being stored on the less accessible top shelf behind a wet bar.\n* (British: material with adult content): Such material is often stored on the top shelf in a newsagent's shop, where it is both less visible and harder to reach without being seen.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "top-shelf",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
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    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
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        "English idioms",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              21,
              30
            ]
          ],
          "text": "I bought a bottle of top shelf whiskey.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Best, or high quality."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Best",
          "best"
        ],
        [
          "high",
          "high"
        ],
        [
          "quality",
          "quality"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US, idiomatic) Best, or high quality."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "top notch"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "Britain",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "ace"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "admirable"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "awe-inspiring"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "colloquial"
          ],
          "word": "awesome"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "bang on"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "bang-up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "based"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "beneship"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "bitching"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "bomb"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "brilliant"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "bully"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "New-Zealand"
          ],
          "word": "cher"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "choice"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "chronic"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "New-Zealand"
          ],
          "word": "chur"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "cock on"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "cool"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "copacetic"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "crackerjack"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "Britain",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "cushty"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "dank"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "def"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "dope"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "excellent"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "exceptional"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "fab"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "fabulous"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "Polari"
          ],
          "word": "fantabulosa"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "fantastic"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "figuratively"
          ],
          "word": "finger-lickin' good"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "fireball"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "first-rate"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "fly"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "frabjous"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "gnarly"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "great"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "Australia",
            "New-Zealand",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "grouse"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "kicking"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "killer"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "Britain",
            "dialectal"
          ],
          "word": "lash"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "lautitious"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "lit"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "marvelous"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "Multicultural-London-English"
          ],
          "word": "nang"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "outstanding"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "out of sight"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "phat"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "Multicultural-London-English"
          ],
          "word": "peng"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "phenomenal"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "Britain",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "pukka"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "quality"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "rad"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "radical"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "obsolete"
          ],
          "word": "rum"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "sick"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "slap-up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "slick"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "spiffing"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "splendid"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "sterling"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "super"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "superb"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "superior"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "sweet"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "swell"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "terrific"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "tight"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "top"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "top-drawer"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "British",
            "dated"
          ],
          "word": "top-hole"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "top-notch"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "top-of-the-range"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "top-shelf"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "British",
            "dated"
          ],
          "word": "topping"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "tubular"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "wicked"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "New-England",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "wicked pissah"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "word": "wonderful"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:excellent",
          "tags": [
            "UK",
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "worldie"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "idiomatic",
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "British English",
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              180,
              189
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2008, Rick Wakeman, Martin Roach, Grumpy Old Rock Star, →ISBN, page 83:",
          "text": "Most of the band used to buy Autotrader to read on the various bus and plane journeys, but Barry would always turn up with a copy of Underwear Unlimited or some other seedy little top-shelf mag.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Describing books, magazines, or movies that have adult content or softcore pornography."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "book",
          "book#English"
        ],
        [
          "magazine",
          "magazine#English"
        ],
        [
          "movie",
          "movie#English"
        ],
        [
          "adult",
          "adult#English"
        ],
        [
          "softcore",
          "softcore#English"
        ],
        [
          "pornography",
          "pornography#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(British, idiomatic) Describing books, magazines, or movies that have adult content or softcore pornography."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "British",
        "idiomatic",
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-top shelf.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/00/En-au-top_shelf.ogg/En-au-top_shelf.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/En-au-top_shelf.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "top shelf"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "US: best, or high quality"
      },
      "expansion": "(US: best, or high quality):",
      "name": "sense"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "British: material with adult content"
      },
      "expansion": "(British: material with adult content):",
      "name": "sense"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "* (US: best, or high quality): Possibly from the higher quality, thus more expensive, thus less often used liquors being stored on the less accessible top shelf behind a wet bar.\n* (British: material with adult content): Such material is often stored on the top shelf in a newsagent's shop, where it is both less visible and harder to reach without being seen.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "top shelves",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "top-shelf",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "top shelves"
      },
      "expansion": "top shelf (plural top shelves)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Canadian English",
        "en:Ice hockey"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The upper part of the goal."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "ice hockey",
          "ice hockey"
        ],
        [
          "goal",
          "goal"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Canada, ice hockey) The upper part of the goal."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Canada"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "hobbies",
        "ice-hockey",
        "lifestyle",
        "skating",
        "sports"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-top shelf.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/00/En-au-top_shelf.ogg/En-au-top_shelf.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/En-au-top_shelf.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "top shelf"
}

Download raw JSONL data for top shelf meaning in English (9.6kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-08-09 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-08-02 using wiktextract (99a4ed9 and 3c020d2). 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.