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dip
(redirected from dip toe)

   Also found in: Medical, Financial, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
dip  (dp)
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.
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. Poetry 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.

[Middle English dippen, from Old English dyppan; see dheub- in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: dip, douse1, duck2, dunk
These verbs mean to immerse briefly into a liquid: dipped her hand into the basin; doused his head in the shower; playmates ducking each other in the pool; dunked his cookies in milk.

dip
Verb
[dipping, dipped]
1. to plunge or be plunged quickly or briefly into a liquid
2. to put one's hands into something, esp. to obtain an object: she dipped into her handbag looking for change
3. to slope downwards
4. to switch (car headlights) from the main to the lower beam
5. to undergo a slight decline, esp. temporarily: sales dipped in November
6. to immerse (farm animals) briefly in a chemical to rid them of insects
7. to lower or be lowered briefly: she dipped her knee in a curtsy
Noun
1. the act of dipping
2. a brief swim
3. a liquid chemical in which farm animals are dipped
4. a depression, esp. in a landscape
5. a momentary sinking down
6. a creamy mixture into which pieces of food are dipped before being eaten
See also dip into [Old English dyppan]

dip  (dp)
1. The downward inclination of a rock stratum or vein in reference to the plane of the horizon.
click for a larger image
dip
strike and dip of inclined rock strata
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.dipdip - a depression in an otherwise level surface; "there was a dip in the road"
imprint, impression, depression - a concavity in a surface produced by pressing; "he left the impression of his fingers in the soft mud"
2.dipdip - (physics) the angle that a magnetic needle makes with the plane of the horizon
natural philosophy, physics - the science of matter and energy and their interactions; "his favorite subject was physics"
angle - the space between two lines or planes that intersect; the inclination of one line to another; measured in degrees or radians
3.dipdip - a thief who steals from the pockets or purses of others in public places
stealer, thief - a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it
4.dip - tasty mixture or liquid into which bite-sized foods are dipped
bean dip - a dip made of cooked beans
cheese dip - a dip made of cheeses
clam dip - a dip made of clams and soft cream cheese
guacamole - a dip made of mashed avocado mixed with chopped onions and other seasonings
condiment - a preparation (a sauce or relish or spice) to enhance flavor or enjoyment; "mustard and ketchup are condiments"
5.dip - a brief immersion
immersion, submergence, submerging, submersion - sinking until covered completely with water
6.dip - a sudden sharp decrease in some quantity; "a drop of 57 points on the Dow Jones index"; "there was a drop in pressure in the pulmonary artery"; "a dip in prices"; "when that became known the price of their stock went into free fall"
decrement, decrease - the amount by which something decreases
correction - a drop in stock market activity or stock prices following a period of increases; "market runups are invariably followed by a correction"
voltage drop - a decrease in voltage along a conductor through which current is flowing
7.dip - a candle that is made by repeated dipping in a pool of wax or tallow
candle, wax light, taper - stick of wax with a wick in the middle
8.dipdip - a brief swim in water
swim, swimming - the act of swimming; "it was the swimming they enjoyed most": "they took a short swim in the pool"
9.dip - a gymnastic exercise on the parallel bars in which the body is lowered and raised by bending and straightening the arms
gymnastic exercise - (gymnastics) an exercise designed to develop and display strength and agility and balance (usually performed with or on some gymnastic apparatus)
Verb1.dip - immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate; "dip the garment into the cleaning solution"; "dip the brush into the paint"
sop - dip into liquid; "sop bread into the sauce"
immerse, plunge - thrust or throw into; "Immerse yourself in hot water"
douse, duck, dip - dip into a liquid; "He dipped into the pool"
dabble - dip a foot or hand briefly into a liquid
2.dip - dip into a liquid while eating; "She dunked the piece of bread in the sauce"
eat - take in solid food; "She was eating a banana"; "What did you eat for dinner last night?"
3.dip - go down momentarily; "Prices dipped"
wane, go down, decline - grow smaller; "Interest in the project waned"
4.dip - stain an object by immersing it in a liquid
stain - color with a liquid dye or tint; "Stain this table a beautiful walnut color"; "people knew how to stain glass a beautiful blue in the middle ages"
5.dip - take a small amount from; "I had to dip into my savings to buy him this present"
draw off, take out, withdraw, draw - remove (a commodity) from (a supply source); "She drew $2,000 from the account"; "The doctors drew medical supplies from the hospital's emergency bank"
6.dip - switch (a car's headlights) from a higher to a lower beam
change intensity - increase or decrease in intensity
7.dip - lower briefly; "She dipped her knee"
bring down, let down, lower, take down, get down - move something or somebody to a lower position; "take down the vase from the shelf"
8.dip - appear to move downward; "The sun dipped below the horizon"; "The setting sun sank below the tree line"
subside - sink to a lower level or form a depression; "the valleys subside"
decline - go down; "The roof declines here"
9.dip - slope downwards; "Our property dips towards the river"
slope, incline, pitch - be at an angle; "The terrain sloped down"
10.dip - dip into a liquid; "He dipped into the pool"
dip, dunk, souse, douse, plunge - immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate; "dip the garment into the cleaning solution"; "dip the brush into the paint"
11.dip - place (candle wicks) into hot, liquid wax
12.dip - immerse in a disinfectant solution; "dip the sheep"
immerse, plunge - thrust or throw into; "Immerse yourself in hot water"
13.dip - plunge (one's hand or a receptacle) into a container; "He dipped into his pocket"
immerse, plunge - thrust or throw into; "Immerse yourself in hot water"
14.dip - scoop up by plunging one's hand or a ladle below the surface; "dip water out of a container"
lift out, scoop, scoop up, scoop out, take up - take out or up with or as if with a scoop; "scoop the sugar out of the container"

dip
verb 3. slope, drop (down), descend, fall, decline, pitch, sink, incline, drop away
noun 5. nod, drop, lowering, slump, sag
dip into something
1. sample, try, skim, play at, glance at, run over, browse, dabble, peruse, surf Computing
2. draw upon, use, employ, extract, take from, make use of, fall back on, reach into, have recourse to

In naval mine warfare, the amount by which a moored mine is carried beneath its set depth by a current or tidal stream acting on the mine casing and mooring.
Translations
Spanish dip [dɪp] n (= slope) → pendiente f;
(in sea) → chapuzón m
vt (in water) → mojar [+ ladle etc]; meter;
(BRIT) (AUT): to dip one's lights → poner la luz de cruce
viinclinarse hacia abajo

French dip [dɪp] n (= slope) → déclivité f;
(in sea) → baignade f, bain m;
(Culin) → sauce f
vttremper, plonger;
(Brit) (Aut) [+ lights]; mettre en code, baisser
viplonger

German dip [dɪp] nSenke f;
(in sea) → kurzes Bad nt;
(Culin) → Dip m;
(for sheep) → Desinfektionslösung f
vteintauchen;
(Brit) (Aut) → abblenden
viabfallen

Italian dip [dɪp] n (= slope) → discesa;
(in sea) → bagno
(BRIT ) (AUT) [+ lights]; abbassare
vi [road] → essere in pendenza; [bird, plane] → abbassarsi

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