cover vs top

cover

noun
  • A lid. 

  • The top sheet of a bed. 

  • A persona maintained by a spy or undercover operative; cover story. 

  • The front and back of a book, magazine, CD package, etc. 

  • A cloth or similar material, often fitted, placed over an item such as a car or sofa or food to protect it from dust, rain, insects, etc. when not being used. 

  • A collection (or family) of subsets of a given set, whose union contains every element of said original set. 

  • Area or situation which screens a person or thing from view. 

  • An envelope complete with stamps and postmarks etc. 

  • A solid object, including terrain, that provides protection from enemy fire. 

  • The portion of a slate, tile, or shingle that is hidden by the overlap of the course above. 

  • An insurance contract; coverage by an insurance contract. 

  • A setting at a restaurant table or formal dinner. 

  • A new performance or rerecording of a previously recorded song; a cover version; a cover song. 

  • The distance between reinforcing steel and the exterior of concrete. 

  • A fielding position on the off side, between point and mid off, about 30° forward of square; a fielder in this position. 

  • A cover charge. 

  • In a steam engine, the lap of a slide valve. 

  • In commercial law, a buyer’s purchase on the open market of goods similar or identical to the goods contracted for after a seller has breached a contract of sale by failure to deliver the goods contracted for. 

adj
  • Of, pertaining to, or consisting of cover versions. 

  • Of or pertaining to the front cover of a book or magazine. 

verb
  • To make a cover version of (a song that was originally recorded by another artist). 

  • To defend (mark) a particular player or area. 

  • To discuss thoroughly; to provide coverage of. 

  • To set upon all of, so as to completely conceal. 

  • To be upon all of, so as to completely conceal. 

  • To provide insurance coverage for. 

  • To traverse or put behind a certain distance. 

  • To act as a replacement. 

  • To deal with or include someone or something. 

  • To be enough money for. 

  • To invest (oneself with something); to bring upon (oneself). 

  • To have as an assignment or responsibility. 

  • To protect using an aimed firearm and the threat of firing; or to protect using continuous, heaving fire at or in the direction of the enemy so as to force the enemy to remain in cover; or to threaten using an aimed firearm. 

  • To be over or upon, as to conceal or protect. 

  • To place something over or upon, as to conceal or protect. 

  • To extend over a given period of time or range, to occupy, to stretch over a given area. 

  • To copulate with (said of certain male animals such as dogs and horses). 

  • To protect or control (a piece or square). 

top

noun
  • A lid, cap or cover of a container. 

  • A garment worn to cover the torso. 

  • A stroke on the top of the ball. 

  • The highest or uppermost part of something. 

  • A top quark. 

  • A framework at the top of a ship's mast to which rigging is attached. 

  • A plug, or conical block of wood, with longitudinal grooves on its surface, in which the strands of the rope slide in the process of twisting. 

  • the part of something that is usually the top. 

  • The first half of an inning, during which the home team fields and the visiting team bats. 

  • A forward spin given to the ball by hitting it on or near the top; topspin 

  • (A table at which there is, or which has enough seats for) a group of a specified number of people eating at a restaurant. 

  • A man penetrating or with a preference for penetrating during homosexual intercourse. 

  • A child’s spinning toy; a spinning top. 

  • The utmost degree; the acme; the summit. 

  • Highest pitch or loudest volume. 

  • The part of a cut gem between the girdle, or circumference, and the table, or flat upper surface. 

  • Oral stimulation of the male member, a blowjob. 

  • The uppermost part of a page, picture, viewing screen, etc. 

  • The near end of somewhere 

  • A bundle or ball of slivers of combed wool, from which the noils, or dust, have been taken out. 

  • A dominant partner in a BDSM relationship or roleplay. 

  • The highest rank; the most honourable position; the utmost attainable place. 

verb
  • To anally penetrate in gay sex. 

  • To cut, break, or otherwise take off the top of (a steel ingot) to remove unsound metal. 

  • To strike (the ball) above the centre; also, to make (a stroke, etc.) by hitting the ball in this way. 

  • To commit suicide. 

  • To excel, to surpass, to beat, to exceed. 

  • To murder. 

  • To be in the lead, to be at number one position (of). 

  • To be the dominant partner in a BDSM relationship or roleplay. 

  • To cut or remove the top (as of a tree) 

  • To cover on the top or with a top. 

  • To improve (domestic animals, especially sheep) by crossing certain individuals or breeds with other superior breeds. 

  • To put a stiffening piece or back on (a saw blade). 

  • To raise one end of (a yard, etc.), making it higher than the other. 

  • To cover with another dye. 

  • To strike the top of (an obstacle) with the hind feet while jumping, so as to gain new impetus. 

adv
  • Rated first. 

adj
  • Situated on the top of something. 

  • Best; of the highest quality or rank. 

  • Very good, of high quality, power, or rank. 

How often have the words cover and top occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )