top 
persons. Also, a species of sand-stone, called also porus, 
mostly of a grey colour; but it is also found of other co¬ 
lours, as whitish, brownish, &c., according to the soil in 
which it is imbedded. 
TOPHA'CEOUS, adj. [ tophus, Lat.] Gritty; stony.— 
Acids mixed with them precipitate a tophaceous chalky 
matter, but not a cheesy substance. Arbuthnot. 
TOPHE'AVY, adj. Having the upper part too weighty 
for the lower.—A roof should not be too heavy nor too 
light; but of the two extremes a house topheavy is the 
worst. Wotton. 
Topheavy drones, and always looking down. 
As over-ballasted within the crown, 
Mutt’ring betwixt their lips some mystic thing, Dryden. 
TO'PHET, s. [.nsn, Heb. a drum.'] Hell: a scriptu¬ 
ral name. 
The pleasant valley of Hinnom, topket thence 
And black Gehenna call’d, the type of hell. Milton. 
TOPIARY, adj. [topiarius, Lat.] Shaped by cutting 
or clipping. 
Ho topiary hedge of quickset 
Was e’er so neatly cut or thickset. Butler. 
TO'PIC, s. [topique , Fr.; rowac, Gr.] Principle of per¬ 
suasion.—I might dilate on the difficulties, the temper of the 
people, the power, arts, and interest of the contrary party; 
but those are invidious topics, too green in remembrance. 
Dryden. —A general head ; something to which other things 
are referred.-—-All arts and sciences have some general sub¬ 
jects, called topics, or common places; because middle 
terms are borrowed, and arguments derived from them for 
the proof of their various propositions. Watts. —Things as 
are externally applied to any particular part.—In the cure 
of strumee. the topics ought to be discutient. Wiseman. 
TOPICAL, adj. [from rowo?, Gr.] Relating to some 
general head ; local; confined to some particular place.— 
Topical or probable arguments, either from consequence of 
Scripture, or from human reason, ought not to be admitted 
or credited, against the consentient testimony and authority 
of the ancient Catholic church. White. —Applied medi¬ 
cinally to a particular part.—A woman with some unusual 
hemorrhage, is only to be cured by topical remedies. 
Arbuthnot. 
TOPICALLY, adv. With application to some parti¬ 
cular part.—-This topically applied becomes a phaenigmus, 
or rubifying medicine, and is of such fiery parts, that 
they have of themselves conceived fire and burnt a house. 
Brown. 
TOPINHAM BARANAS, a town of Brazil, in the go¬ 
vernment of Para, on the river of the Amazons ; 80 miles 
south-west of Pauxis. Lat. 2, 42. S. 
TOP1NAMBES, a large island of the river Amazons, inha¬ 
bited by a nation of Indians of the same name; it is 60 
leagues in length. 
TOPINO, a small river in the central part of Italy, which 
runs into the Tiber; 5 miles south of Perugia. 
TOPKNOT, s. A knot worn by women on the top of 
the head.—This arrogance amounts to the pride of an ass in 
his trappings; when ’tis but his master’s taking away his 
topknot to make an ass of him again. L'Estrange, 
TOPLESS, adj. Having no top. 
He sent abroad his voice. 
Which Pallas far off echo’d ; who did betwixt them hoise. 
Shrill tumult to a topless height. Chapman. 
Supreme; sovereign. 
Sometime, great Agamemnon, 
Thy topless deputation he puts on. Sha/cspeare. 
TOPLITZ, or Toeputz. See Teplitz. 
TOPMAN, s. The sawyer at the top.-—-The pit-saw 
enters the one end of the stuff, the topman at the top, and 
the pitman under him, the topman observing to guide the 
saw exactly in the line. Moxon. 
Vo l. XXIV. No. 1625. 
TOP 37 
TOPMOST, adj. [An irregular superlative formed from 
top.] Uppermost; highest. 
From steep to steep the troops advanced with pain. 
In hopes at last the topmost cliff to gain; 
But still by new ascents the mountain grew. 
And a fresh toil presented to their view. Addison. 
TOPO, a river of Quito, in the province of Quixos and 
Macas, which runs south, and enters by the north point 
into the Pasfaza. 
TOPOCALMA, a large river of Chili, in the province of 
Santiago, which enters the Pacific ocean near Valparaiso, in 
lat. 33. 31. S. 
TOPO'GRAPHER, s. [totto? and ypapa, Gr.] One who 
writes descriptions of particular places.—Although one 
should read all the topographers that ever writ of, or anato¬ 
mized, a town or country. Howell. 
TOPOGRAPHICAL, or Topogra'phic, adj. Describ¬ 
ing particular places.—It were requisite to have a book of 
the topographical description of all places through which 
he passeth. Howell. 
TOPO'GRAPHY, s. [topographic, Fr.; tottoi; and ypaipa, 
Gr.] Description of particular places.—That philosophy 
gives the exactest topography of the extramundane spaces. 
Glanville. 
TOPOLAIS, a lake of Greece, in the province of Livadia. 
TOPORCZ, a petty town in the north-west of Hungary ; 
26 miles east of Neusohl. Population 1200, chiefly Lu¬ 
therans. 
TOPOROW, a small town of Austrian Poland ; 40 miles 
north-east of Lemberg. 
TOPPING, adj. Fine; noble; gallant. A low word. 
—The topping fellow I take to te the ancestor of the fine 
fellow. Tatter. 
TOPPINGLY, adj. Fine; gay; gallant; shewy. An 
obsolete word. 
These toppinglie ghests be in number but ten. 
As welcome to dairie as beares among men. Tusser. 
TOPPINGLY, adv. Splendidly ; nobly. A low word. 
To TOPPLE, v. n. To fall forward; to tumble do#n. 
Though bladed corn be lodged and trees blown down; 
Though castles topple on their warders heads. Shakspeare. 
To TOPPLE, v. a. To throw down. 
Unruly wind— 
Shakes the old beldame earth, and topples down 
Steeples and moss-grown towers. Shakspeare , 
TOP-PROUD, adj. Proud in the highest degree. 
This top-proud fellow. 
By intelligence I do know 
To be corrupt and treasonous. Shakspeare. 
TOPSAIL, s. The highest sail. 
Strike, strike the topsail; let the main sheet fly. 
And furl your sails. Dryden , 
TOPSAIL INLET, a channel between two small islands 
on the coast of North Carolina. Lat. 34. 18. N, long. 77. 
48. W. 
TOPSCHAU, or Dobsina, a small town in the north of 
Hungary, on a river of the same name. Population 4000; 
109 miles north-north-east of Buda, and 25 north of 
Gomer. 
TOPSFIELD, a post township of the United States, in 
Essex county, Massachusetts; 20 miles north-east of Boston, 
Population 815. 
TOPSHAM, a market town and sea-port of England, in 
the county of Devon, situated at the confluence of the 
rivers Clyste and Exe, which almost encompass it, though 
it chiefly extends along the eastern banks of the latter. It 
is, properly speaking, the port town of Exeter, where all the 
large ships lie, and are loaded and unloaded ; and here the 
captains, ship-carpenters, &c„ with the officers of customs, 
reside. Most of the inhabitants are employed in the ship- 
L * fair j. 
