9 PHRASE If you do something in the teeth of a difficulty or danger, you do it in spite of the difficulty or danger. □ I was battling my way along the promenade in the teeth of a force ten gale. □ In the teeth of the longest recession since the 1930s, the company continues to perform well.
10 PHRASE If you say that someone is lying through their teeth , you are emphasizing that they are telling lies. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ]
11 PHRASE If you describe someone as long in the tooth , you are saying unkindly or humorously that they are old or getting old. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ Aren't I a bit long in the tooth to start being an undergraduate?
12 PHRASE If you have a sweet tooth , you like sweet food very much.
13 to get the bit between your teeth → see bit
14 to give one's eye teeth for something → see eye
15 to gnash one's teeth → see gnash
16 to grit your teeth → see grit
17 a kick in the teeth → see kick
18 by the skin of your teeth → see skin
tooth|ache /tuː θe I k/ N‑UNCOUNT Toothache is pain in one of your teeth.
tooth|brush /tuː θbrʌʃ/ (toothbrushes ) N‑COUNT A toothbrush is a small brush that you use for cleaning your teeth.
too th de|cay N‑UNCOUNT If you have tooth decay , one or more of your teeth has become decayed.
too th fairy (tooth fairies ) N‑COUNT The tooth fairy is an imaginary creature. Children are told that if they put a tooth that comes out under their pillow, the tooth fairy will take it away while they are sleeping and leave a coin in its place.
tooth|less /tuː θləs/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You use toothless to describe a person or their smile when they have no teeth.
2 ADJ If you describe something such as an official group or a law as toothless , you mean it has no real power and is not effective. □ In his view, the Commission remains a toothless and ineffectual body.
tooth|paste /tuː θpe I st/ (toothpastes ) N‑VAR Toothpaste is a thick substance which you put on your toothbrush and use to clean your teeth.
tooth|pick /tuː θp I k/ (toothpicks ) N‑COUNT A toothpick is a small stick which you use to remove food from between your teeth.
tooth|some /tuː θsəm/ ADJ If you describe food as toothsome , you mean that it tastes very good. □ …the toothsome honey-sweetened gingerbread.
toothy /tuː θi/ ADJ [ADJ n] A toothy smile is one in which a person shows a lot of teeth.
too|tle /tuː t ə l/ (tootles , tootling , tootled )
1 VERB If you tootle somewhere, you travel or go there without rushing or without any particular aim. [mainly BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V prep/adv] I'm sure Ted is tootling down the motorway at this very moment.
2 VERB If you tootle a tune on an instrument, you play it quietly, without concentrating or taking it seriously. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] McCann tootled a tune on the piano. [Also V ]
top ◆◆◆ /tɒ p/ (tops , topping , topped )
1 N‑COUNT The top of something is its highest point or part. □ [+ of ] I waited at the top of the stairs. □ [+ of ] …the picture at the top of the page. □ Bake the biscuits for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned. ● ADJ [ADJ n] Top is also an adjective. □ …the top corner of his newspaper.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] The top thing or layer in a series of things or layers is the highest one. □ I can't reach the top shelf. □ Our new flat was on the top floor.
3 N‑COUNT The top of something such as a bottle, jar, or tube is a cap, lid, or other device that fits or screws onto one end of it. □ …the plastic tops from aerosol containers. □ …a bottle top.
4 N‑SING The top of a street, garden, bed, or table is the end of it that is farthest away from where you usually enter it or from where you are. [mainly BRIT ] □ [+ of ] …a little shop at the top of the street. □ [+ of ] He moved to the empty chair at the top of the table. ● ADJ [ADJ n] Top is also an adjective. □ …the hill near the top end of the garden. □ …the top corridor of the main building.
5 N‑COUNT A top is a piece of clothing that you wear on the upper half of your body, for example a blouse or shirt. [INFORMAL ] □ Look at my new top.
6 ADJ [ADJ n] You can use top to indicate that something or someone is at the highest level of a scale or measurement. □ The vehicles have a top speed of 80 kilometres per hour. □ …a top-ranking Saudi officer.
7 N‑SING The top of an organization or career structure is the highest level in it. □ We started from the bottom and we had to work our way up to the top. □ [+ of ] …his dramatic rise to the top of the military hierarchy. ● ADJ [ADJ n] Top is also an adjective. □ I need to have the top people in this company pull together.
8 ADJ [ADJ n] You can use top to describe the most important or famous people or things in a particular area of work or activity. □ The President met this afternoon with his top military advisers.
9 N‑SING If someone is at the top of a table or league or is the top of the table or league, their performance is better than that of all the other people involved. □ [+ of ] The United States will be at the top of the medal table. □ [+ of ] Labour was top of the poll with forty-six percent. ● ADJ Top is also an adjective. □ I usually came top in English.