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tip off

verb, noun — 8 senses

tip off

verbalso spelled tip-off
1

Idiomatic To alert or inform (someone), especially confidentially.

  • An anonymous caller tipped off the police that the suspect would be in the area.
  • Someone must have tipped him off. [A likely explanation for why he has disappeared.]
2

Ball games, Basketball, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports To put the ball in play by throwing it up between two opponents.

3

Ball games, Basketball, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports Of a sports match To begin.

  • The game tips off in an hour, so hurry back!
4

Obsolete To pour out (liquor); to tip the vessel and drink until it is empty.

5

To use a particular brush technique for producing a flawless surface on a wet coat of paint.

Synonyms
inform, grass up, snitch, lay off
Related terms
tip over, tip out, tip-off

tip-off

noun

Etymology Deverbal from tip off.

1

Idiomatic An obvious clue or indication.

  • The broken window and overturned plant pots were a tip-off that something was wrong.
2

Idiomatic A report of suspicious behaviour, especially to an authority.

  • The police received a tip-off about a recent bank robbery.
  • Haws also alleged that Hay was engaged in a conspiracy to disrupt the parade. "People called a week before and said he would be doing something." The alleged tip-off was anonymous.1986 August 16, Marcos Bisticas-Cocoves, “Harry Hay Barred from Carrying NAMBLA Sign”, in Gay Community News, volume 14, number 5, page 1:
3

Ball games, Basketball, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports Jump ball that starts a game.

Related terms
tip off

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — authors: page histories for tip off and tip-off.