Tipped

Tipped is the past tense of the verb tip and an adjective. In general usage, tip means to tilt or incline, to pour from a container, or to give a gratuity.

As a verb, tipped describes actions such as tilting something so its side rises; causing a container to overflow or spill; or tipping over a vehicle. It is also used in the sense of giving a gratuity to a person offering a service. For example, “She tipped the waiter.” In some contexts, “tip” can mean information or a hint, but “tipped” is rarely used in that sense; “tipping off” is the related phrasal form.

As an adjective, tipped describes something with a pointed end or an end bearing a distinct feature. In hardware or weaponry, a “tipped” arrow or spear has a sharpened point. In botany or horticulture, leaves, buds, or stems may be described as tipped with frost, color, or another substance.

Other uses: In culture and law, “tipped” can describe workers who rely on tips; “tipped wage” refers to a wage base dependent on tips; some jurisdictions regulate tipped wages. In geography and astronomy, you might encounter “tip” in phrases like “tip of the iceberg,” but “tipped” is less common outside those contexts.

See also: tip, tipping, gratuity, spear tip.