dip

• enPR: dĭp, IPA^(key): /dɪp/
• Rhymes: -ɪp

From Middle English dippen, from Old English dyppan, from Proto-Germanic *dupjaną. Related with deep. Cognate with Low German düppen, German tupfen (and, through a merger, tippen). Compare also related Low German döpen, Dutch dopen, German taufen.

dip (plural dips)

1. A lower section of a road or geological feature.

   There is a dip in the road ahead.

2. Inclination downward; direction below a horizontal line; slope; pitch.
3. The action of dipping or plunging for a moment into a liquid.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Glover

     the dip of oars in unison

4. A tank or trough where cattle or sheep are immersed in chemicals to kill parasites.
5. A dip stick.
6. A swim, usually a short swim to refresh.

   I'm going for a dip before breakfast.

7. (colloquial, dated) A pickpocket.
   • 1906, Fred L. Boalt, "The Snitcher", McClure's Magazine v.26, p.633

     The Moocher was a "dip" in a dilettante sort of way, and his particular graft was boarding street-cars with his papers and grabbing women's pocket-books.

8. A sauce for dipping.

   This onion dip is just scrumptious.

9. (geology) The angle from horizontal of a planar geologic surface, such as a fault line.
10. (archaic) A dipped candle.

    (Can we find and add a quotation of Marryat to this entry?)

11. (dance) a move in many different styles of partner dances, often performed at the end of a dance, in which the follower leans far to the side and is supported by the leader
12. A gymnastic exercise on the parallel bars in which the performer, resting on his hands, lets his arms bend and his body sink until his chin is level with the bars, and then raises himself by straightening his arms.
13. In the turpentine industry, the viscid exudation that is dipped out from incisions in the trees. Virgin dip is the runnings of the first year, yellow dip the runnings of subsequent years.
14. (aeronautics) A sudden drop followed by a climb, usually to avoid obstacles or as the result of getting into an airhole.
15. (uncountable) The moist form of snuff tobacco.

• lucky dip

dip (third-person singular simple present dips, present participle dipping, simple past and past participle dipped)

Churros dipped in chocolate

1. (transitive) To lower into a liquid.

   Dip your biscuit into your tea.

   • 1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula Chapter 21

     He dipped the end of a towel in cold water and with it began to flick him on the face, his wife all the while holding her face between her hands and sobbing in a way that was heart breaking to hear.

2. (intransitive) To immerse oneself; to become plunged in a liquid; to sink.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Coleridge

     The sun's rim dips; the stars rush out.

3. (intransitive) (of a value or rate) To decrease slightly.
4. (transitive) To lower a light's beam.

   Dip your lights as you meet an oncoming car.

5. (transitive) To lower (a flag), particularly a national ensign, to a partially hoisted position in order to render or to return a salute. While lowered, the flag is said to be “at the dip.” A flag being carried on a staff may be dipped by leaning it forward at an approximate angle of 45 degrees.

   “The sailor rushed to the flag hoist to dip the flag in return.”

6. (transitive) To treat cattle or sheep by immersion in chemical solution.

   The farmer is going to dip the cattle today.

7. (transitive) To use a dip stick to check oil level in an engine.
8. To consume snuff by placing a pinch behind the lip or under the tongue so that the active chemical constituents of the snuff may be absorbed into the system for their narcotic effect.

   (Can we add an example for this sense?)

9. (transitive) To immerse for baptism.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Fuller to this entry?)

   • (Can we date this quote?) Charles Wheatly, A rational illustration of the Book of Common Prayer

     […] during the reigns of King James and King Charles I, there were but very few children dipped in the font.

10. (transitive) To wet, as if by immersing; to moisten.
    • (Can we date this quote?) John Milton

      A cold shuddering dew / Dips me all o'er.

11. (intransitive) To plunge or engage thoroughly in any affair.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Dryden

      He was […] dipt in the rebellion of the Commons.

12. (transitive) To take out, by dipping a dipper, ladle, or other receptacle, into a fluid and removing a part; often with out.

    to dip water from a boiler; to dip out water

13. (intransitive) To perform the action of plunging a dipper, ladle. etc. into a liquid or soft substance and removing a part.
    • (Can we date this quote?) L'Estrange

      Whoever dips too deep will find death in the pot.

14. (transitive) To engage as a pledge; to mortgage.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Dryden

      Live on the use and never dip thy lands.

15. (transitive) To perform (a bow or curtsey) by inclining the body.
16. (intransitive) To incline downward from the plane of the horizon.

    Strata of rock dip.

17. (transitive, dance) To perform a dip dance move (often phrased with the leader as the subject noun and the follower as the subject noun being dipped)
18. To lower the body by bending the knees while keeping the body in an upright position, as in movement to the rhythm of music.
19. (intransitive, colloquial) To leave.

    He dipped out of the room so fast.

Back-formation from dippy.

dip (plural dips)

1. A foolish person.

• dipshit

dip (plural dips)

1. (computer graphics) Initialism of device-independent pixel.

Shortening.

dip (plural dips)

1. (informal) A diplomat.

• DPI, IDP, PDI, PID, dpi

From English dip.

• Audio

  (file)

dip c (plural dips, diminutive dipje n)

1. (colloquial) A minor depression, a short-lived sadness.

• dinsdagdip

dip m (plural dips)

1. dip (sauce for dipping)

From Old Turkic tüp, from Proto-Turkic *tüp, *dǖp (“bottom; root”).

dip

1. bottom
2. depth
3. ground

• *dǖp Starostin, Sergei; Dybo, Anna; Mudrak, Oleg (2003) Etymological dictionary of the Altaic languages (Handbuch der Orientalistik; VIII.8), Leiden, New York, Köln: E.J. Brill