From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishtip your hat/cap (to somebody)tip your hat/cap (to somebody)THINK/HAVE THE OPINION THAT a) to touch or raise your hat as a greeting to someone b) American English to say or do something that shows you admire what someone has done → tip
Examples from the Corpus
tip your hat/cap (to somebody)• The watchman came out from his hut, tipped his hat, and opened the gate.• Johnnie Walker tips his hat, smirks and hurries westward off the shelf.• And with that word of reassurance, Black tips his hat to Blue and continues on his way.• Thrifty, hardworking, unemotional, they tipped their hats to no one.• Stephen slid him a coin, the doorman tipped his hat with a smile. 