Dictionary

topspin en · NOUN

Etymology

From top + spin.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A rotational motion, especially that given to a ball, in which the upper surface spins in the direction of motion.
   • The tennis star was famed for her topspin.
2. (uncountable) An edgy, quirky or otherwise engaging quality that holds the interest of the audience.
   • Well remembered as a visual comedienne, she also had the verbal knack of putting all sorts of topspin on a line. 1994, Richard D. Heldenfels, Television's Greatest Year: 1954, page 70:
   • 2016, Quentin Letts, "A Very English Scandal: sex, lies and a murder plot at the heart of the establishment by John Preston - review" (in Evening Standard, 28 April 2016) https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/books/a-very-english-scandal-sex-lies-and-a-murder-plot-at-the-heart-of-the-establishment-by-john-preston-a3236271.html This fluent, readable book has certainly been polished with a fair degree of what Fleet Street feature editors once called topspin: “Give it some topspin, old boy. Make the copy sing.” In this John Preston more than succeeds.
   • Flashdance had a quality known as top spin, in which the casting, the concept and the look and sound of the movie all come together. 2010, Justin Wyatt, High Concept: Movies and Marketing in Hollywood:

Forms

Antonyms

backspin

Deriveds

top-spinner

Synonyms

forespin

Translations (6)

de Vorwärtsdrall (type of spin) · yue 上旋 (type of spin) · cmn 上旋 (type of spin) · fi yläkierre (type of spin) · es ajuaishte (type of spin) · ca efecte de rodolament (type of spin)

topspin en · VERB

Etymology

From top + spin.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To spin (a ball) with this motion.
   • He could keep winning through attrition, with a relentless barrage of topspinning ground strokes and a tireless defense of his own side, where would-be winners go to die. 2007 August 27, John Branch, “His Next Line to Cross”, in New York Times:

Forms