big top

American  

noun

1. the largest or main tent of a circus.

2. a circus.

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big top British  

noun

1. the main tent of a circus

2. the circus itself

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big top Idioms  

1. The main tent of a circus, as in The high-wire act is almost always in the big top . [c. 1840]

2. Underworld slang for a maximum-security prison, as in He was sentenced to ten years in the big top . [1950s]

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Etymology

Origin of big top

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95

Example Sentences

Their vibrant, jam-packed settings depict anything from an oceanic rave to a rainbow-hued big top performance to a joyride through the cosmos.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

“You wanna feel something/You know is real, something/beyond the paler things,” the chorus sings in the opening number, describing the promise of the big top.

From New York Times • Feb. 25, 2024

Interestingly, I think that Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka made it okay for big top male athletes to feel comfortable saying that they, too, struggle with their own mental health.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 14, 2021

“I chose to have open shelving in the kitchen instead of big top cabinets,” says Castillo.

From Washington Post • Dec. 1, 2021

I head through the big top, following the hippodrome track to the back entrance.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen