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Top dead centre (TDC) in a piston engine, is the position of a piston in which it is farthest from the crankshaft. The position closest to the crankshaft is known as bottom dead centre (BDC).

Top dead center is the datum point from which engine timing measurements are made. For example, ignition system timing is normally specified as degrees before top dead centre (BTDC) although a very few small and fast-burning engines, require a spark just after top dead centre (ATDC), such as the Nissan MA engine with hemispherical combustion chambers, or hydrogen engines.

Top dead center for cylinder one is often marked on the crankshaft pulley, the flywheel or dynamic balancer or both, with adjacent timing marks showing the recommended ignition timing settings as decided during engine development. These timing marks can be used to set the ignition timing either statically by hand or dynamically using a timing light, by rotating the distributor in its seat.

In a multi-cylinder engine, pistons may reach top dead center simultaneously or at different times depending on the engine configuration. For example:

• In the V-twin configuration, the two pistons reach TDC at different times, equal to the angular displacement between the cylinders.
• In the boxer twin configuration, two opposing pistons reach TDC simultaneously, which is also called 0° displacement.
• In the straight-4 configuration, the two end pistons (pistons 1 and 4) reach TDC simultaneously, as do the two centre pistons (pistons 2 and 3), but these two pairs reach TDC with an angular displacement of 180°. Similar patterns are found in almost all straight engines with even numbers of cylinders, with the two end pistons and two middle pistons moving together (not necessarily 180° out of phase however) and the intermediate pistons moving in pairs in mirror-image around the centre of the engine.
• In the flatplane V8 and many larger V engines, the piston motion within each bank is similar to that of a straight engine, however in the crossplane V8 and all V10 engines the motion is far more complex.

The concept of top dead center is also extended to pistonless rotary engines, and means the point in the cycle in which the volume of a combustion chamber is smallest. This typically occurs several times per rotor revolution; In the Wankel engine for example it occurs three times for every one revolution of the rotor.

As steam engines are commonly horizontal, the relevant terms are front dead centre and back dead centre rather than "top" and "bottom".

If a single-cylinder steam engine stops in either of the dead centre positions it must be moved off the dead centre before it will re-start. In small engines this is done by turning the flywheel by hand. In large engines the flywheel is moved with a lever or "turning bar". Both operations must be done with care to avoid the operator becoming entangled in the machinery.

Steam locomotives normally have two cylinders with the cranks set at right angles so one piston will always be off the dead centre and no starting assistance is required.

This term is also used in the realm of production equipment. A mechanical punch press employs a crankshaft similar to that found in an engine. In the punch press the crankshaft drives a ram which when it is farthest away from the platen of the press is considered to be in the position of top dead center.

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