Meaning & use
tipping
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“tipping” is a form of “tip”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
noununcountable
The habit or act of giving a small extra sum of money to someone who has served you.
Grammar: No plural and no article: tipping is customary here.
Patterns
- tipping at a restaurant
- tipping is customary
Tipping is expected in American restaurants, and servers rely on it.
We read about tipping rules before our trip to New York.
She believes tipping should reflect the quality of service.
verbtransitive or intransitive
Present participle of tip: leaning something so that it slopes or falls, or making a container pour its contents.
Grammar: With an object: tipping the bucket. Without one: the boat is tipping.
Patterns
- tip something over
- tip something into something
He was tipping the jug carefully so the cream would not spill.
The small boat started tipping to one side in the waves.
She is tipping the potatoes into the pot.
noununcountableBritish
The dumping of rubbish or waste, especially illegally on land.
Grammar: Often seen in fly-tipping, a British expression.
Patterns
- fly-tipping
The council has begun cracking down on illegal tipping in country lanes.
Fly-tipping is a problem on the edge of town.
Signs warn that tipping rubbish here is a crime.
Common combinations
- tipping point
- Rising costs were the tipping point that closed the shop.
- generous tipping
- Generous tipping made the waiter's evening.
- tipping culture
- In some countries, tipping culture is much weaker than in the United States.
- tipping over
- The shelf looks as if it is about to start tipping over.
- fly-tipping
- Fly-tipping spoils the beauty of the countryside.
- tipping etiquette
- Guidebooks often explain tipping etiquette abroad.
Synonyms and how they differ
- gratuity
- Gratuity is a more formal word for a tip and appears on bills and in contracts.
- leaning
- Leaning describes slow slanting, while tipping often suggests it could go over.
- dumping
- Dumping is the general word for getting rid of rubbish, with no sense of the British fly-tipping legal term.
- overturning
- Overturning means turning completely upside down, whereas tipping may stop partway.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: tipping or tripping?
tipping vs tripping
Tripping is catching your foot and almost falling. Tipping is leaning something or giving a gratuity.
Practice
In many American restaurants, ____ is an important part of a server's income.
Choose one answer.
Tipping means giving a gratuity to service staff. Tripping, dipping and tapping are real words but they do not describe paying extra.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tipping”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.