bottom

[[t]bɒ̱təm[/t]]

♦♦

bottoms, bottoming, bottomed

1) N-COUNT: usu the N in sing, oft N of n The bottom of something is the lowest or deepest part of it.

He sat at the bottom of the stairs...

Answers can be found at the bottom of page 8.

...the bottom of the sea.

Ant:

top

2) ADJ: ADJ n The bottom thing or layer in a series of things or layers is the lowest one.

There's an extra duvet in the bottom drawer of the cupboard.

Ant:

top

3) N-COUNT: usu the N in sing, usu with supp The bottom of an object is the flat surface at its lowest point. You can also refer to the inside or outside of this surface as the bottom.

Spread the onion slices on the bottom of the dish.

...the bottom of their shoes.

...a suitcase with a false bottom.

Syn:

base

4) N-SING: the N If you say that the bottom has dropped or fallen out of a market or industry, you mean that people have stopped buying the products it sells. [JOURNALISM]

The bottom had fallen out of the city's property market.

5) N-SING: the N, usu N of n The bottom of a street or garden is the end farthest away from you or from your house. [BRIT]

...the Cathedral at the bottom of the street.

Syn:

end

(in AM, usually use end)

6) N-SING: the N, usu N of n The bottom of a table is the end farthest away from where you are sitting. The bottom of a bed is the end where you usually rest your feet. [BRIT]

Malone sat down on the bottom of the bed.

Syn:

end

(in AM, usually use end)

7) N-SING: the N, oft N of n The bottom of an organization or career structure is the lowest level in it, where new employees often start.

He had worked in the theatre for many years, starting at the bottom.

...a contract researcher at the bottom of the pay scale.

Ant:

top

8) N-SING: the N, also no det If someone is bottom or at the bottom in a survey, test, or league their performance is worse than that of all the other people involved.

He was always bottom of the class...

The team is close to bottom of the League.

Ant:

top

9) N-COUNT: oft poss N Your bottom is the part of your body that you sit on.

If there was one thing she could change about her body it would be her bottom.

10) N-COUNT: usu pl, oft n N The lower part of a bikini, tracksuit, or pair of pyjamas can be referred to as the bottoms or the bottom.

She wore blue tracksuit bottoms.

...a skimpy bikini bottom.

Ant:

top

11) → See also , rock bottom

12) PHRASE: PHR with cl (emphasis) You use at bottom to emphasize that you are stating what you think is the real nature of something or the real truth about a situation.

The two systems are, at bottom, conceptual models...

At bottom, such an attitude is born not of concern for your welfare, but out of fear of losing you.

13) PHRASE: PHR n If something is at the bottom of a problem or unpleasant situation, it is the real cause of it.

Often I find that anger and resentment are at the bottom of the problem.

Syn:

at the heart of

14) PHRASE: heart inflects, PHR after v, PHR with cl (emphasis) You can say that you mean something from the bottom of your heart to emphasize that you mean it very sincerely.

I'm happy, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart...

I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart.

15) PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n If you want to get to the bottom of a problem, you want to solve it by finding out its real cause.

I have to get to the bottom of this mess.

16) CONVENTION Some people say bottoms up to each other just before drinking an alcoholic drink. [INFORMAL]

17) to scrape the bottom of the barrel → see barrel

Phrasal Verbs:

- bottom out