dip
(dĭp)v. dipped, dip·ping, dips
v.tr.1. To plunge briefly into a liquid, as in order to wet, coat, or saturate.
2. To color or dye by immersing: dip Easter eggs.
3. To immerse (a sheep or other animal) in a disinfectant solution.
4. To form (a candle) by repeatedly immersing a wick in melted wax or tallow.
5. To galvanize or plate (metal) by immersion.
6. To scoop up by plunging the hand or a receptacle below the surface, as of a liquid; ladle: dip water out of a bucket.
7. To lower and raise (a flag) in salute.
8. To lower or drop (something) suddenly: dipped my head to avoid the branch.
9. Slang To pick the pockets of.
v.intr.1. To plunge into water or other liquid and come out quickly.
2. To plunge the hand or a receptacle into liquid or a container, especially so as to take something up or out: I dipped into my pocket for some coins.
3. To withdraw a small amount from a fund: We dipped into our savings.
4. To drop down or sink out of sight suddenly: The sun dipped below the horizon.
5. To drop suddenly before climbing. Used of an aircraft.
6. To slope downward; decline: The road dipped.
7. To decline slightly and usually temporarily: Sales dipped after Christmas.
8. Geology To lie at an angle to the horizontal plane, as a rock stratum or vein.
9. a. To read here and there at random; browse: dipping into Chaucer.
b. To investigate a subject superficially; dabble: dipped into psychology.
10. Slang To steal by picking pockets.
11. To place a preparation of finely shredded tobacco in one's mouth.
n.1. A brief plunge or immersion, especially a quick swim.
2. A liquid into which something is dipped, as for dyeing or disinfecting.
3. A savory creamy mixture into which crackers, raw vegetables, or other foods may be dipped.
4. An amount taken up by dipping.
5. A container for dipping.
6. A candle made by repeated dipping in tallow or wax.
7. A downward slope; a decline.
8. A sharp downward course; a drop: a dip in prices.
9. Geology The downward inclination of a rock stratum or vein in reference to the plane of the horizon.
10. a. Linguistics A part of a phrase or sentence that is unstressed or less strongly stressed relative to surrounding words, as the words I and to in I have to go.
b. The unstressed portion of a metrical foot.
11. Magnetic dip.
12. A hollow or depression.
13. Sports A gymnastic exercise on the parallel bars in which the body is lowered by bending the elbows until the chin reaches the level of the bars and then is raised by straightening the arms.
14. Slang A pickpocket.
15. Slang A foolish or stupid person.
16. A preparation of finely shredded tobacco, usually placed between the lower lip and gum. Also called snuff.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
dip
(dɪp) vb,
dips,
dipping or dipped1. to plunge or be plunged quickly or briefly into a liquid, esp to wet or coat
2. (intr) to undergo a slight decline, esp temporarily: sales dipped in November.
3. (intr) to slope downwards: the land dips towards the river.
4. (intr) to sink or appear to sink quickly: the sun dipped below the horizon.
5. (Automotive Engineering) (tr) to switch (car headlights) from the main to the lower beam. US and Canadian word: dim
6. (Agriculture) (
tr)
a. to immerse (poultry, sheep, etc) briefly in a liquid chemical to rid them of or prevent infestation by insects, etc
b. to immerse (grain, vegetables, or wood) in a preservative liquid
7. (Dyeing) (tr) to stain or dye by immersing in a liquid
8. (Ecclesiastical Terms) (tr) to baptize (someone) by immersion
9. (Metallurgy) (tr) to plate or galvanize (a metal, etc) by immersion in an electrolyte or electrolytic cell
10. (tr) to scoop up (a liquid or something from a liquid) in the hands or in a container
11. to lower or be lowered briefly: she dipped her knee in a curtsy.
12. (Crafts) (tr) to make (a candle) by plunging the wick into melted wax
13. (intr) to plunge a container, the hands, etc, into something, esp to obtain or retrieve an object: he dipped in his pocket for money.
14. (intr; foll by in or into) to dabble (in); play (at): he dipped into black magic.
15. (Aeronautics) (intr) (of an aircraft) to drop suddenly and then regain height
16. (Geological Science) (intr) (of a rock stratum or mineral vein) to slope downwards from the horizontal
17. (Games, other than specified) (often foll by: for) (in children's games) to select a leader, etc by reciting any of various rhymes
18. (tr) slang to pick (a person's) pocket
n19. the act of dipping or state of being dipped
20. a brief swim in water
21. (Agriculture)
a. any liquid chemical preparation in which poultry, sheep, etc are dipped
b. any liquid preservative into which objects, esp of wood, are dipped
22. (Dyeing) a preparation of dyeing agents into which fabric is immersed
23. (Physical Geography) a depression, esp in a landscape
24. something taken up by dipping
25. a container used for dipping; dipper
26. a momentary sinking down
27. (Geological Science) the angle of slope of rock strata, fault planes, etc, from the horizontal plane
28. (General Physics) Also called: angle of dip, magnetic dip or inclination the angle between the direction of the earth's magnetic field and the plane of the horizon; the angle that a magnetic needle free to swing in a vertical plane makes with the horizontal
29. (Cookery) a creamy mixture into which pieces of food are dipped before being eaten
30. (Surveying) surveying the angular distance of the horizon below the plane of observation
31. (Crafts) a candle made by plunging a wick repeatedly into wax
32. (Aeronautics) a momentary loss of altitude when flying
33. (Gymnastics) (in gymnastics) a chinning exercise on the parallel bars
[Old English dyppan; related to Old High German tupfen to wash, German taufen to baptize; see deep]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
dip1
(dɪp)
v. dipped, dip•ping,
n. v.t. 1. to plunge temporarily into a liquid, so as to moisten, dye, or take up some of the liquid.
2. to take up by bailing or ladling: to dip water out of a boat.
3. to lower and raise: to dip a flag in salutation.
4. to immerse in a solution containing an insecticide or pesticide.
5. to make (a candle) by repeatedly plunging a wick into melted tallow or wax.
6. Chiefly Brit. to lower (headlights); dim.
v.i. 7. to plunge into a liquid and emerge quickly.
8. to reach down into a liquid or container so as to remove something (usu. fol. by into).
9. to withdraw something in small amounts: to dip into one's savings.
10. to sink: The sun dipped below the horizon.
11. to incline downward: The road dips into a valley.
12. to decrease slightly or temporarily: Stock-market prices often dip on Fridays.
13. to engage slightly in a subject: to dip into astronomy.
14. to read here and there in a book or author's work (often fol. by into).
n. 15. the act of dipping.
16. something taken up by dipping.
17. a scoop of ice cream.
18. a substance into which something is dipped.
19. a creamy mixture of seasoned foods for scooping with a cracker, potato chip, etc., served as an appetizer.
20. a solution containing an insecticide or pesticide for use in dipping animals.
21. a momentary lowering.
22. a moderate or temporary decrease.
23. a downward inclination, slope, or course.
24. the amount of this.
25. a hollow or depression in the land.
26. a brief swim.
27. the downward inclination of a mineral vein or stratum with reference to the horizontal.
28. the angle that a freely rotating magnetic needle makes with the plane of the horizon.
29. a short downward plunge, as of an airplane.
[before 1000; Middle English dippen (v.), Old English dyppan]
dip′pa•ble, adj.
syn: dip,
immerse,
plunge refer to putting something into liquid. To
dip is to put down into a liquid quickly or partially and lift out again:
to dip a finger into water to test the temperature. immerse denotes a lowering into a liquid until covered by it:
to immerse meat in salt water. plunge adds a suggestion of force or suddenness to the action of dipping:
to plunge a lobster into boiling water. dip3
(dɪp)
n. Slang. a naive, foolish, or obnoxious person.
[1930–35,
Amer.; probably back formation from
dippy]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.