[f. TOP sb.1 10 + BOOT sb.3 1.]
1. properly. A high boot, having a top of white, light-colored, or brown leather or the like (TOP sb.1 10), formerly habitually worn by gentlemen, yeomen, and farmers, in riding or country dress; now by hunting men, jockeys, grooms, and coachmen. Usually in pl.
1813. J. F. Rees, Art & Myst. Cordwainer, 103. How to take the measure … for a jockey or top boot.
1821. King is Ireland, in New Monthly Mag., II. 407. [The priest] in his black satin breeches and bright top-boots.
1836. E. Howard, R. Reefer, ii. He has purchased a pair of top boots, a swell top coat, and … thinks himself … a topping gentleman.
c. 1868. G. Pryme, Autobiog. Recoll., xiv. (1870), 220. [In 1782] the County Members went up to the Throne—according to their privilege—in leather breeches and top-boots, instead of Court-dress.
1875. W. S. Hayward, Love agst. World, 73. In hunting-dress, buckskin, top-boots and scarlet coat.
1893. Vizetelly, Glances Back, I. iii. 81. Burdett, in his customary buckskins and top boots.
1910. O. Barron, in Encycl. Brit., VII. 243/2. Men of fashion [in late 18th c.] walked the streets in short top-boots of soft black leather. Ibid. (1911), XXIV. 993/1. Such forms as jack-boots, top-boots, Hessian boots and Wellington boots.
1912–3. Civil Serv. Co-op. Soc. Price List, 916. Coachman’s Top Boots. Any Colour Top.
2. Improperly applied to any long or high boots that partly cover the leg.
1891. Cent. Dict., Top-boot, a boot having a high top; spec. [as in sense 1].
1906. G. W. Chrystal, trans. Mem. Pr. Chlodwig of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfuerste, II. 260. She appeared in pink stockings, black top-boots.
1906. Athenæum, 19 May, 606/3. The new heresy which, to the horror of makers and wearers of ‘top-boots,’ gives to the military boot of Eastern Europe that time-honoured name. Ibid. (1907), 13 April, 440/1. We … dislike the practice of writers on Russia of using for the boot of Eastern Europe the classical term ‘top-boot,’ which has in our literature a special meaning. For the British hunting boot there is no other term.
3. attrib. and Comb.
1854. Knight, Once upon a Time, xxxvii. (1859), 497. The top-boot wearers.
Hence Top-booted a., wearing top-boots.
1831. Carlyle, Sart. Res., II. ii. Topbooted Graziers from the North; Swiss Brokers, Italian Drovers, also topbooted, from the South.
