m. I. a top, summit :-- Helmes top apex, summitas galeae, Wrt. Voc. i. 36, II. a lock of hair, tuft; and fig. a collection of rays of light (?), as in the tail of a comet :-- Se bróðor geseah eall ðæt hús mid heofonlícre bryhto geondgoten, and hé ðǽr geseah fýrenne topp (a stream of light (?); cf. Cometa ... men cweþaþ on Englisc, ðæt hit sié feaxede steorra, for ðæm ðǽr stent lang leóma of, Chr. 891; Erl. 88, 19. But, perhaps, torr should be read, as the Latin has turrim; and the metrical version of the passage uses that word :-- Heofonlíc leóma from foldan up swylce fýren tor ryht árǽred. Exon. Th. 180, 26; Gú. 1285) up of ðære eorþan tó heofones heánnysse, Guthl. 20; Gdwin. 88, 11. III. a top to play with (?) :-- Mid gelǽredre handa hé swang ðone top mid micelre swiftnysse (the passage is obscure, and perhaps the Latin original has been mistranslated. Thorpe, p. 41, note, cites two Latin versions, one of which has 'accepto ceromate, cum docta manu circumlavit ei cum subtilitate'; the other 'accepto cyramoco, docta manu circulavit eum': in each case the rubbing after the bath seems to be meant. But swingan (q.striking, and hardly fits in with the meaning of the Latin), Ap. Th. 13, 13. [In later English the word seems mostly used of the hair at the top of the head, or of that which has a similarity with it, e.g. the leafy top of a tree :-- Bi þone toppe (coppe, 2nd MS.) he hine nom, Laym. 684. Hongin bi þe toppe (teon bi þe top up, Bodl. MS.), Jul. 28, 6: Piers P. 3, 139. Top ouer tail, Will. 2776. En vostre chef vus avet toup (a top of heer). Wrt. Voc. i. 144, 21 (13th cent.). Ne rohte he þeȝ flockes were Imeind bi toppes and bi here, O. and N. 428. His heer was by his eres ful round ishorn. His top was docked lyk a priest biforn, Chauc. Prol. 590. Top or fortop, top of the hed aqualium, Prompt. Pardu lyn le toup. Wrt. Voc. i. 144, 27. The word is used also of other things :-- Teon seiles to toppa, Laym. 1339. Top or cop of an hey thynge cacumen, top of a maste carchesia, Prompt. Para top of tre), Wrt. Voc. i. 144, 25. Top of chylderys pley trochus, Prompt. Parflagellum, 482. O. Frs. top a lock, tuft of hair: Du. top top, summit: O. H. Ger. zopfe; pl. cicinni, anciae: Ger. zopf: Icel. toppr a tuft or lock of hair; a top of a mast: Dan. top a top, summit; a tuft, crest; a top to play with: Swed. topp a top, summit. The word was taken from the Teutonic into the Romance languages.] topp