tip

tip

I

tip¹ S2 W3 /tɪp/ noun1.  END  [countable] the end of something, especially something pointed
    tip of
    He kissed the tip of her nose.
    the southern tip of South America
    lights on the wing tips of aeroplanes ⇨ fingertip(1)
2.  MONEY  [countable] a small amount of additional money that you give to someone such as a waiter or a taxi driver:
    Did you leave a tip?
    large/generous/big tip
    I gave the guy a big tip.
    a $5 tip
3.  ADVICE  [countable] a helpful piece of advice:
    Perhaps she could give us a few tips.
    tip on/for
    This week's magazine has some tips on healthy eating.
    handy tip (=useful tip)
    handy tips for decorating a small flat
    gardening tips
4. the tip of the iceberg a small sign of a problem that is much larger:
    The reported cases of food poisoning are only the tip of the iceberg.
5. on the tip of your tongue
  a. if something is on the tip of your tongue, you really want to say it, but then you decide not to:
    It was on the tip of my tongue to say, ‘I’d rather have dinner with a snake.’
  b. if a word, name etc is on the tip of your tongue, you know it but cannot remember it:
    What is her name? It’s on the tip of my tongue. Joan. Joan Simpson. That’s it!
6.  WASTE  [countable] British English an area where unwanted waste is taken and left
   SYN  dump:
    a rubbish tip
    I’ll take this lot to the tip.
7.  UNTIDY  [singular] British English informal an extremely dirty or untidy place:
    The house was an absolute tip.
8.  HORSE RACE  [countable] informal special information about which horse will win a race
9.  WARNING  [countable] a secret warning or piece of information, especially to police about illegal activities:
    Acting on a tip, the police were able to find and arrest Upton.
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 2)

■ verbs
   ▪ leave a tip Aren’t you going to leave a tip?
   ▪ give somebody a tip Kim gave the driver a tip.
■ adjectives
   ▪ a big/large/generous tip The service was great and we left a large tip.
   ▪ a 5%/10% etc tip A 15% tip is customary in restaurants.
   ▪ a £2/$5 tip He gave the waitress a $10 tip.
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 3)

■ verbs
   ▪ give somebody a tip He gave me some tips on how to improve my game.
   ▪ pass on a tip The writer passes on many tips that she has learned over the years.
   ▪ follow a tip To keep your bike in good condition, follow these simple tips.
   ▪ pick up a tip If you listen to the show, you’ll pick up some really useful gardening tips.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + tip
   ▪ a good/useful/helpful/handy tip Go to their website to find useful tips on buying and selling a home.
   ▪ a simple tip He has some simple tips for saving money when you're at the supermarket.
   ▪ cooking tips Most recipes come with added cooking tips.
   ▪ gardening tips Marie was always willing to share her gardening tips.
   ▪ beauty tips The article contains some useful beauty tips.
   ▪ safety tips Ensure the safety of your family with a few simple safety tips from the Fire Service.

II

tip² S3 verb (past tense and past participle tipped, present participle tipping)
1.  LEAN  [intransitive and transitive] to move into a sloping position, so that one end or side is higher than the other, or to make something do this
   SYN  tilt
    tip forward/back/to etc
    His helmet had tipped forward and the boy pushed it back.
    Eric fell asleep, his head gently tipping to one side.
    tip something forward/back etc
    ‘So what?’ asked Brian, tipping his chair back on its rear legs.
2.  POUR  [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to pour something from one place or container into another
    tip something onto/into something
    Tip the onions and oil into a large ovenproof dish.
    Ben tipped the contents of the drawer onto the table.
    tip something out
    Shall I tip the water out?
3.  GIVE MONEY  [intransitive and transitive] to give an additional amount of money to someone such as a waiter or taxi driver:
    Did you tip the waiter?
    tip somebody something
    I tipped him $5.
4.  BE LIKELY TO SUCCEED  [transitive usually passive] if someone or something is tipped to do something, people think that they are most likely to succeed in doing it
    tip somebody/something to do something
    the man tipped to become the next President
    tip somebody for/as something
    He’s tipped as a future world champion.
    widely/strongly/hotly tipped
    He had been widely tipped to get the new post of deputy director.
5. gold-tipped/steel-tipped/rubber-tipped etc having a tip that is made of or covered with gold, steel etc:
    a silver-tipped walking stick
6. tip the balance/scales to give a slight advantage to someone or something:
    Three factors helped to tip the balance in favour of the Labour leadership.
7. tip the scales at something to weigh a particular amount, used especially of someone who will be taking part in a sports competition:
    At today’s weigh-in he tipped the scales at just over 15 stone.
8. it’s tipping (it) down British English spoken said when it is raining very heavily:
    It was absolutely tipping it down.
9. be tipped with something to have one end covered in something:
    arrows tipped with poison
    red petals tipped with white
10. tip your hat/cap (to somebody)
  a. to touch or raise your hat as a greeting to someone
  b. American English to say or do something that shows you admire what someone has done
11. tip somebody the wink British English informal to give someone secret information
     
tip somebody ↔ off phrasal verb
  to give someone such as the police a secret warning or piece of information, especially about illegal activities:
    The police must have been tipped off.
    tip somebody off that
    His contact had tipped him off that drugs were on the premises.
    tip somebody ↔ off about
    Did you tip him off about Bernard?
tip over phrasal verb
  if you tip something over, or if it tips over, it falls or turns over:
    The candle tipped over and the hay caught fire.
    tip something ↔ over
    The current was starting to tip the canoe over and I began to panic.
tip up phrasal verb
  if you tip something up, or if it tips up, it moves into a sloping position, so that one end or side is higher than the other
    tip something ↔ up
    He tipped the bottle up so that the last of the liquid flowed into his glass.
    Ken tipped up the wheelbarrow, then stood back to rest.
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ pour to make a liquid or other substance flow out of or into a container by holding it at an angle: Jessica was pouring more wine into her glass. | He poured me a drink. | Raj poured some water from the jug.
   ▪ drizzle to pour a liquid onto food in small drops or in a small stream – often used in cooking instructions: Drizzle a little olive oil onto the bread. | Drizzle the lemon juice over the cake.
   ▪ tip to pour something out of a container by turning it upside down: He tipped the cup of milk into the pan. | She weighed out the flour and tipped it into the bowl.
   ▪ spill to accidentally make a liquid or other substance come out of a container: Someone had spilled coffee all over the carpet. | The tanker was leaking, and spilled oil into the sea.
   ▪ splash to pour a liquid quickly in an irregular stream: Tony hurriedly splashed some cream in his coffee. | Someone had splashed petrol over the steps and set light to them. | She splashed some perfume onto her wrists.
   ▪ decant to pour liquid from one container into another container – a rather formal use: Rachel decanted the shampoo into small bottles for travelling. | He often decanted cheap whisky into bottles of more expensive brands.