Word.ws English Dictionary

top note

top note noun: the most volatile parts of a perfume which are immediately perceived upon its application.

Noun

top note (plural top notes)

  1. (perfumery) The most volatile parts of a perfume which are immediately perceived upon its application.
    • In those days I didn't buy perfumes, and initially thought Chamade was two fragrances: I would smell the drydown on passers-by and find it wonderful, but it took me months to connect it to the nondescript floral green top note.2010, Luca Turin, Tania Sanchez, “Chamade”, in Perfumes: The A–Z Guide, Profile Books, →ISBN, page 115
    Synonyms:
    head note
  2. The highest note that can be produced by a certain instrument or singer.
  3. (broadly) The best that a person can do; one's finest achievement.
    • "If you all want to see it through I am with you. It's dooced interestin', and no mistake about that. I've had my share of adventures in my life, and as many thrills as most folk, but I'm endin' on my top note."1913, Arthur Conan Doyle, “Submerged”, in The Poison Belt […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC, page 98

Synonyms of top note

Forms of top note

pluraltop notes

Questions about top note

What does top note mean?
Top note means the most volatile parts of a perfume which are immediately perceived upon its application.
What part of speech is top note?
Top note is a noun.
What is the plural of top note?
The plural of top note is top notes.

Words near top note in the dictionary

  1. top loin
  2. top loins
  3. top minnow
  4. top minnows
  5. top notch
  6. top note
  7. top notes
  8. top of class
  9. top of mind
  10. top of mind awareness
  11. top of one's class

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: top note (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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