n. a circus tent; the circus, in general. : And now, one of the greatest acts under the big top.
mod. having to do with the circus. : One big top experience is enough to last me a lifetime.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition. Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
big top
The main tent of a circus, as in The high-wire act is almost always in the big top. [c. 1840]
Underworld slang for a maximum-security prison, as in He was sentenced to ten years in the big top. [1950s]
