# tipping

/ˈtɪpɪŋ/ (US) · /tˈɪpɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/tipping
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. leaning or falling over

verb · CEFR B1

leaning something to one side or falling over by accident.

For teachers: the act of inclining something from a vertical position or causing it to overturn.

- The waiter was tipping the bottle to pour the last bit of juice.
- By tipping the container at a precise angle, the chemist was able to decant the liquid without disturbing the sediment at the bottom.

### 2. giving a gratuity

noun · CEFR B1

the practice of giving extra money to workers like waiters or taxi drivers to say thank you.

For teachers: the social custom of providing a gratuity in exchange for services rendered.

- Tipping is expected in many restaurants in the United States.
- While tipping is customary in North American service industries, it is often considered unnecessary or even offensive in certain East Asian cultures.

### 3. dumping rubbish

noun · CEFR B2 · British English

the act of throwing away large amounts of rubbish in a specific place.

For teachers: the disposal of waste material, often used in the context of 'illegal tipping' or 'fly-tipping'.

- The council is trying to stop people from tipping old furniture in the woods.
- Local authorities have increased surveillance in rural areas to combat the rise of illegal tipping on private farmland.

### 4. flute articulation

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a way of playing fast notes on a flute by moving your tongue against the roof of your mouth.

For teachers: a technique of articulation in flute playing involving the striking of the tongue against the palate to produce distinct, rapid notes.

- The flute player practiced her tipping to make the fast passage sound clear.
- The piece requires mastery of double-tonguing and precise tipping to execute the staccato runs at the required tempo.

### 5. predicting sports results

noun · CEFR B2 · American English · Dialect

a competition where people try to guess who will win sports matches.

For teachers: the act of predicting the winners of sporting contests, often within an organised competition or 'tipping pool'.

- He won the office tipping competition by correctly guessing the rugby scores.
- The local newspaper runs a weekly tipping column where experts provide their forecasts for the upcoming weekend of football.

## Examples

- He is tipping the bottle to pour the juice.
- The waiter provided excellent service throughout the evening, so we decided on tipping him twenty percent of the total bill.
- By tipping the scales in favor of the opposition, the whistleblower's testimony effectively ended the administration's hopes for a quick resolution to the ongoing scandal.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.