tip

tip · noun, verb¹

1. Middle English · inherited fromtip
2. English todaytip

From Middle English tip, typ, tippe (“tip”), of obscure and uncertain origin. Perhaps distantly related to top. Related to Saterland Frisian Tip (“tip”), West Frisian tippe, tip (“tip”), Dutch tip (“tip”), German Low German Tip, Tippel (“tip”), dialectal German Zipf (“tip”) (diminutive Zipfel used in Standard German), Danish tip (“tip”), Swedish tipp (“tip”), Icelandic typpi (“knob, pin, penis”). Compare also Saterland Frisian Timpe (“tip”), West Frisian timpe (“tip”), Old English tæppa (“tap, spigot”), Middle High German züpfel (“pointed end, tip”).

tip · verb, noun²

1. Middle English · inherited fromtippen
2. English todaytip

From Late Middle English tippen, possibly from North Germanic/Scandinavian (compare Swedish tippa (“to topple over”)), or a special use of Etymology 1.

tip · verb, noun³

Uncertain, perhaps related to Etymology 1 and cognate with Dutch tippen, German tippen, Swedish tippa.

tip · verb, noun⁴

Originally thieves' slang, of uncertain origin; according to the OED, probably related to sense 1.

tip · noun, verb⁵

Probably from tip (“to give, pass”) or tip (“to tap”), or a combination of the two.

Tip · proper noun⁶

Occasionally from Timothy.

First known use, by meaning

• from 15th c. The extreme end of something, especially when pointed; e.g. the sharp end of a pencil.
• from 15th c. A piece of metal, fabric or other material used to cover the top of something for protection, utility or decoration.
• from 15th c. To provide with a tip; to cover the tip of.
• (transitive) From early 14th c. (To cause) to become knocked over, fall down or overturn.
• from 17th c. (To cause) to be, or come to be, in a tilted or sloping position; (to cause) to become unbalanced.
• from 18th c. To drink.
• from 19th c. To dump (refuse).
• from 20th c. To pour a libation or a liquid from a container, particularly from a forty of malt liquor.