Atop
/əˈtɒp/
prepositionBeginnerRareGeneral
Meaning
Questions
Definitions
1
Situated on the top of something.
/əˈtɒp/
prepositionneutralBeginner
General
On the top of; on
A crown sat atop her head.
💡 Simply: On top of.
More Examples
2
The cat slept atop the bookshelf.
How It's Used
General
"The bird perched atop the tree."
From Old English *uppon, a preposition meaning 'on top of'. It's a contraction of 'a' and 'top'.
While the word 'atop' has existed for a long time, its usage is less frequent in modern English compared to alternatives such as 'on top of'.
Memory tip
Think 'a top' as in the top of something.
Practice
a topattop
Usage
10%Spoken
90%Written