tope

Tope is a term with several distinct senses in English. As a verb, tope means to drink alcohol, especially spirits, to excess. It is chiefly used in British English and is considered informal or somewhat old-fashioned. The related noun sense can refer to a heavy drinking spree or to a habit of drinking, though this usage is less common today.

In zoology, the tope is the common name for Galeorhinus galeus, a large, slender shark also known as the school shark in some regions. It inhabits temperate coastal waters and continental shelves worldwide, including the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Adults can reach lengths around two meters, with two dorsal fins and a grey-brown dorsal coloration fading to a lighter underside. Tope are typically found near shorelines and over continental shelves, where they feed on small fish and invertebrates. They are viviparous, giving birth to live young after a gestation period. Reproduction and growth rates vary by region, and the species is a target for both commercial and recreational fisheries in many areas.

Cultural and economic notes accompany both senses. The drinking sense appears mainly in informal speech and literature, while the shark sense has real-world implications for fisheries management, conservation, and market demand. Across regions, tope populations face pressures from fishing, leading to region-specific regulations such as quotas, size limits, and seasonal closures to support sustainability.