top and tail (English, verb)
expansion: top and tail (third-person singular simple present tops and tails or top and tails, present participle topping and tailing or top and tailing, simple past and past participle topped and tailed or top and tailed)
Senses:
glosses: To add to the beginning and end of (something), such as the salutation and valediction added to a letter.
tags: transitive
glosses: To remove the top and bottom of (an item), for example when preparing carrots for cooking.
tags: transitive
topics: broadcasting
media
glosses: 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
glosses: To bathe (a small child) in a minimal way by wiping its face and bottom.
tags: colloquial
transitive
topics: rail-transport
railways
transport
glosses: To provide (a train) with a locomotive at each end, for ease of reversal.
tags: UK
transitive
Forms:
form: tops and tails
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: top and tails
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: topping and tailing
tags: participle
present
form: top and tailing
tags: participle
present
form: topped and tailed
tags: participle
past
form: topped and tailed
tags: past
form: top and tailed
tags: participle
past
form: top and tailed
tags: past