The term TOP NUN is a combination of two words, 'TOP' and 'NUN'. The first word, 'TOP', is an adjective meaning the highest or most important. The second word, 'NUN', is a noun referring to a woman who has taken religious vows and is a member of a religious order. An ABBESS is a female superior or head of a religious community of nuns. She is responsible for the spiritual and temporal welfare of the nuns in her charge.