tip off

noun Informal.

1. the act of tipping off.
2. a hint or warning: They got a tip-off on the raid.

noun

1. a small present of money given directly to someone for performing a service or menial task; gratuity: He gave the waiter a dollar as a tip.
2. a piece of private or secret information, as for use in betting, speculating, or writing a news story: a tip from a bookie.
3. a useful hint or idea; a basic, practical fact: tips on painting.

verb (used with object), tipped, tip·ping.

4. to give a gratuity to.

verb (used without object), tipped, tip·ping.

5. to give a gratuity: She tipped lavishly.

Verb Phrases

6. tip off, Informal.
   1. to supply with private or secret information; inform.
   2. to warn of impending danger or trouble; caution beforehand: The moonshiners had been tipped off that they were about to be raided.

noun

1. the extreme end of something, esp a narrow or pointed end
2. the top or summit
3. a small piece forming an extremity or enda metal tip on a cane

verb tips, tipping or tipped (tr)

4. to adorn or mark the tip of
5. to cause to form a tip

verb tips, tipping or tipped

1. to tilt or cause to tilt
2. (usually foll by over or up) to tilt or cause to tilt, so as to overturn or fall
3. British to dump (rubbish, etc)
4. tip one’s hat to take off, raise, or touch one’s hat in salutation

noun

5. the act of tipping or the state of being tipped
6. British a dump for refuse, etc

noun

1. a payment given for services in excess of the standard charge; gratuity
2. a helpful hint, warning, or other piece of information
3. a piece of inside information, esp in betting or investing

verb tips, tipping or tipped

4. to give a tip to (a person)

verb tips, tipping or tipped (tr)

1. to hit or strike lightly
2. to hit (a ball) indirectly so that it glances off the bat in cricket

noun

3. a light blow
4. a glancing hit in cricket

noun

1. a warning or hint, esp given confidentially and based on inside information
2. basketball the act or an instance of putting the ball in play by a jump ball

verb tip off

3. (tr, adverb) to give a hint or warning to

v.1“to slope, overturn,” c.1300, possibly from Scandinavian, or a special use of tip (n.). Intransitive sense of “fall over” is recorded from 1520s. Related: Tipped; tipping. Tipping point attested by 1972. n.“end, point, top,” early 13c., from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch tip “utmost point, extremity, tip” (cf. German zipfel, a diminutive formation); perhaps cognate with Old English tæppa “stopper” (see tap (n.)), from Proto-Germanic *tupp- “upper extremity.” Tip-top is from 1702. v.2“give a small present of money to,” c.1600, “to give, hand, pass,” originally thieves’ cant, perhaps from tip (v.3) “to tap.” The meaning “give a gratuity to” is first attested 1706. The noun in this sense is from 1755; the meaning “piece of confidential information” is from 1845; the verb in this sense is from 1883; tipster first recorded 1862. For urban legendary origin as an acronym, see here . v.3“light, sharp blow or tap,” mid-15c., possibly from Low German tippen “to poke, touch lightly,” related to Middle Low German tip “end, point,” and thus connected to tip (n.); or else connected with tap (v.) “to strike lightly.” The noun in this sense is attested from 1560s. Supply with secret or private information; also, warn or alert. For example, The broker often tipped her off about stocks about to go down in price, or Somehow they were tipped off and left the country before the police could catch them. [Colloquial; late 1800s] In addition to the idioms beginning with tip

tip off

tip of the iceberg

tip one’s hand

tip the balance

also see:

from head (tip) to toe

on the tip of one’s tongue