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REFERENCE

bottom

n. · adj. · v.
US //ˈbɑtəm// UK //bˈɒtəm// bot·tom
  1. 1 lowest part (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    the lowest part or surface of something.

    the lowest part, point, or surface of an object or structure.

    Example

    The keys were hiding at the very bottom of her heavy bag.

    Example

    The researchers discovered a small crack at the bottom of the container, which explained why the liquid had been leaking slowly for days.
  2. 2 body part (n.)
    A2 Elementary British English

    the part of your body that you sit on.

    the buttocks; used as a polite or neutral term in British English.

    Example

    The toddler fell down on his bottom but didn't cry.

    Example

    After sitting on the hard wooden bench for three hours, my bottom was completely numb.
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  1. 3 under water (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the ground at the lowest part of a lake, river, or sea.

    the bed of a body of water.

    Example

    The old ship has been sitting at the bottom of the ocean for centuries.

    Example

    Divers explored the lake bottom, searching for any artifacts that might have survived the flood.
  2. 4 lowest position (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the last or lowest position in a group or list.

    the lowest rank or position in a hierarchy or sequence.

    Example

    His name was at the bottom of the list, so he had to wait a long time.

    Example

    The team started the season at the bottom of the league but managed to win their last five games.
  3. 5 low land (n.)
    C1 Advanced American English Agriculture

    low, flat land near a river.

    low-lying alluvial land, typically near a river or in a valley.

    Example

    The farmers planted corn in the rich soil of the river bottoms.

    Example

    The heavy rains caused the river to overflow, completely submerging the fertile bottoms and destroying the season's crops.
  4. 6 sexual role (n.)
    C1 Advanced Slang

    a person who takes the receiving role during sex.

    a person who takes the receptive role in sexual intercourse.

    Example

    He identified as a bottom in his dating profile.

    Example

    The discussion focused on how traditional labels like top and bottom are evolving within modern queer communities.
    • receptive partner
  5. 7 lowest (adj.)
    A2 Elementary

    being at the lowest part or the end of something.

    situated at the lowest part, point, or rank.

    Example

    Please sign your name on the bottom line of the contract.

    Example

    The bottom drawer of the desk was jammed, preventing us from accessing the old files stored inside.
  6. 8 to reach the lowest point (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to reach the lowest possible level before starting to rise again.

    to reach the lowest point or level; often used with 'out'.

    Example

    The stock prices finally bottomed out after weeks of falling.

    Example

    Economists believe the recession has bottomed out and that we will see growth in the next quarter.
Origin

PIE word *bʰudʰmḗn From Middle English botme, botom, from Old English botm, bodan (“bottom, foundation; ground, abyss”), from Proto-West Germanic butm, from Proto-Germanic butmaz, budmaz (“bottom; ground”), from Proto-Indo-European bʰudʰmḗn (“bottom”). Cognates Cognate with Yola bothom, bottom (“bottom”), Saterland Frisian Boudem (“floor; ground”), West Frisian boaiem (“floor; ground”), Dutch bodem, boom, boôm (“bottom; ground, soil”), German Boden (“floor; ground; soil”), Limburgish baom (“bottom; ground, soil”), Luxembourgish Buedem (“bottom; earth, soil”), Vilamovian bödum (“bottom; ground”), Danish bund (“bottom”), Elfdalian buottn (“bottom”), Faroese botnur (“bottom”), Icelandic and Norwegian Nynorsk botn (“bottom”), Norwegian Bokmål botn, bunn (“bottom”), Swedish botten (“bottom”); also Irish and Scottish Gaelic bonn (“base, bottom; sole (of foot)”), Latin fundus (“bottom”) (whence fund, via French), Ancient Greek πυθμήν (puthmḗn, “bottom of a cup or jar; the bottom of the sea; butt of a tree”), Albanian buzë (“rocky chasm”), Armenian անդունդ (andund), անդունդք (andundkʻ, “abyss, chasm”), Northern Kurdish bin (“bottom”), Persian بن (bon, “bottom”), Sanskrit बुध्न (budhna, “bottom”). The sense “posterior of a person” is first attested in 1794; the verb “to reach the bottom of” is first attested in 1808. bottom dollar (“the last dollar one has”) is from 1882.

Idioms14 entries

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