Advertisement

bottom (n.)

Old English botm, bodan "ground, soil, foundation, lowest or deepest part of anything," from Proto-Germanic *buthm- (source also of Old Frisian boden "soil," Old Norse botn, Dutch bodem, Old High German bodam, German Boden "ground, earth, soil"). This is perhaps from PIE root *bhudhno- "bottom" (source also of Sanskrit budhnah, Avestan buna- "bottom," Greek pythmen "foundation," Latin fundus "bottom, piece of land, farm," Old Irish bond "sole of the foot").

Meaning "fundamental character, essence" is from 1570s; to get to the bottom of some matter is from 1773. Meaning "posterior of a person" (the sitting part) is from 1794. Bottoms up as a call to finish one's drink is from 1875. Bottom dollar "the last dollar one has" is from 1857. To do or feel something from the bottom of (one's) heart is from 1540s. Bottom-feeder, originally of fishes, is from 1866.

bottom (v.)

1540s, "to put a bottom on," from bottom (n.). Meaning "to reach the bottom of" is from 1808 (earlier figuratively, 1785). Related: Bottomed; bottoming.

Others are reading

Advertisement
Definitions of bottom from WordNet
1
bottom (n.)
the lower side of anything;
Synonyms: underside / undersurface
bottom (n.)
the lowest part of anything;
they started at the bottom of the hill
bottom (n.)
the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on;
Synonyms: buttocks / nates / arse / butt / backside / bum / buns / can / fundament / hindquarters / hind end / keister / posterior / prat / rear / rear end / rump / stern / seat / tail / tail end / tooshie / tush / behind / derriere / fanny / ass
bottom (n.)
the second half of an inning; while the home team is at bat;
Synonyms: bottom of the inning
bottom (n.)
a depression forming the ground under a body of water;
Synonyms: bed
bottom (n.)
low-lying alluvial land near a river;
Synonyms: bottomland
bottom (n.)
a cargo ship;
they did much of their overseas trade in foreign bottoms
Synonyms: freighter / merchantman / merchant ship
2
bottom (v.)
provide with a bottom or a seat;
bottom the chairs
bottom (v.)
strike the ground, as with a ship's bottom;
bottom (v.)
come to understand;
Synonyms: penetrate / fathom
3
bottom (adj.)
situated at the bottom or lowest position;
the bottom drawer
bottom (adj.)
the lowest rank;
bottom member of the class
From wordnet.princeton.edu