Topi

UK: /ˈtəʊpɪ/

US: (tō pē′, tō′pē for the helmet; tō′pē for the animal)

Inflections of 'topi' (n): npl: topis

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

to•pi¹  (tō pē′, tō′pē), n., pl. -pis. 

1. topee.

to•pi²  (tō′pē), n., pl. -pis. 

1. an antelope, Damaliscus lunatus, of east-central Africa, having bluish-black and yellow markings.

• Swahili
• said to be 1905–10

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

to•pee  (tō pē′, tō′pē), n. 

1. (in India) a lightweight helmet or sun hat made from the pith of the sola plant.

Also, topi.

• Hindi ṭopī hat
• 1825–35

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

topi / ˈtəʊpɪ/ noun ( -pis)

1. an antelope, Damaliscus korrigum, of grasslands and semideserts of Africa, having angular curved horns and an elongated muzzle

Etymology: 19th Century: from an African language

topi / ˈtəʊpiː -pɪ/ noun ( -pis)

1. another name for pith helmet

Etymology: 19th Century: from Hindi: hat

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

topee, topi / ˈtəʊpiː -pɪ/ noun ( -pees, -pis)

1. another name for pith helmet

Etymology: 19th Century: from Hindi topī hat