ti n open|er (tin openers ) also tin-opener N‑COUNT A tin opener is a tool that is used for opening tins of food. [BRIT ] in AM, use can opener
tin|pot /t I npɒt/ also tin-pot ADJ [ADJ n] You can use tinpot to describe a leader, country, or government that you consider to be unimportant and inferior to most others. [mainly BRIT , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …a tinpot dictator.
tin|sel /t I ns ə l/ N‑UNCOUNT Tinsel consists of small strips of shiny paper attached to long pieces of thread. People use tinsel as a decoration at Christmas.
Tin|sel|town /t I ns ə ltaʊn/ N‑PROPER People sometimes refer to Hollywood as Tinseltown , especially when they want to show that they disapprove of it or when they are making fun of it.
tint /t I nt/ (tints , tinting , tinted )
1 N‑COUNT A tint is a small amount of colour. □ Its large leaves often show a delicate purple tint.
2 N‑COUNT If you put a tint on your hair, you dye it a slightly different colour. □ You've had a tint on your hair.
3 VERB [usu passive] If something is tinted , it has a small amount of a particular colour or dye in it. □ [be V -ed] Eyebrows can be tinted with the same dye. □ [V -ed] Most of the dirt was on the outside of the tinted glass. ● -tinted COMB □ He wore green-tinted glasses.
ti n whi s|tle (tin whistles ) N‑COUNT A tin whistle is a simple musical instrument in the shape of a metal pipe with holes. You play the tin whistle by blowing into it. Tin whistles make a high sound and are often used in folk music, for example Irish music.
tiny ◆◇◇ /ta I ni/ (tinier , tiniest ) ADJ Something or someone that is tiny is extremely small. □ The living room is tiny. □ Though she was tiny, she had a very loud voice.
SUFFIX -tion
forms nouns that refer to a state or process, or to an instance of that process. For example, the protection of something is the act of protecting it.
tip ◆◇◇ /t I p/ (tips , tipping , tipped )
1 N‑COUNT The tip of something long and narrow is the end of it. □ [+ of ] The sleeves covered his hands to the tips of his fingers. □ [+ of ] She poked and shifted things with the tip of her walking stick.
2 VERB If you tip an object or part of your body or if it tips , it moves into a sloping position with one end or side higher than the other. □ [V n adv/prep] He leaned away from her, and she had to tip her head back to see him. □ [V ] A young boy is standing on a stool, reaching for a cookie jar, and the stool is about to tip.
3 VERB If you tip something somewhere, you pour it there. □ [V n prep] Tip the vegetables into a bowl. □ [V n with adv] Tip away the salt and wipe the pan.
4 VERB To tip rubbish means to get rid of it by leaving it somewhere. [BRIT ] □ [V n] …the costs of tipping rubbish in landfills. □ [V ] How do you stop people tipping? □ [V -ed] We live in a street off Soho Road and there's rubbish tipped everywhere. in AM, use dump 5 N‑COUNT A tip is a place where rubbish is left. [BRIT ] in AM, use garbage dump 6 N‑COUNT If you describe a place as a tip , you mean it is very untidy. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ The flat is an absolute tip.
7 VERB If you tip someone such as a waiter in a restaurant, you give them some money in order to thank them for their services. □ [V n] Do you really think it's customary to tip the waiters? □ [V n amount] She tipped the barmen 10 dollars and bought drinks all round. [Also V ] ● tip|ping N‑UNCOUNT □ A 10 percent service charge is added in lieu of tipping.
8 N‑COUNT If you give a tip to someone such as a waiter in a restaurant, you give them some money to thank them for their services. □ I gave the barber a tip.
9 N‑COUNT A tip is a useful piece of advice. □ [+ on ] It shows how to prepare a CV, and gives tips on applying for jobs. [Also + for ]
10 VERB [usu passive] If a person is tipped to do something or is tipped for success at something, experts or journalists believe that they will do that thing or achieve that success. [BRIT ] □ [be V -ed to-inf] He is tipped to be the country's next foreign minister. □ [be V -ed + for ] He was widely tipped for success.
11 N‑COUNT Someone's tip for a race or competition is their advice on its likely result, especially to someone who wants to bet money on the result. □ [+ for ] United are still my tip for the Title.
12 PHRASE If you say that a problem is the tip of the iceberg , you mean that it is one small part of a much larger problem. □ The people who have died so far could be just the tip of the iceberg.
13 PHRASE If something tips the scales or tips the balance , it gives someone a slight advantage. □ Today's slightly shorter race could well help to tip the scales in his favour.
14 PHRASE If a comment or question is on the tip of your tongue , you really want to say it or ask it, but you decide not to say it. □ It was on the tip of Mahoney's tongue to say the boss was out.
▸ tip off PHRASAL VERB If someone tips you off , they give you information about something that has happened or is going to happen. □ [V n P ] Greg tipped police off on his car phone about a suspect drunk driver. □ [V P n] He was arrested two days later after a friend tipped off the FBI.
▸ tip over PHRASAL VERB If you tip something over or if it tips over , it falls over or turns over. □ [V n P ] He tipped the table over in front of him. □ [V P n] She tipped over the chair and collapsed into the corner with a splintering crash. □ [V P ] We grabbed it just as it was about to tip over.