dip /dip/ transitive verb (dippˈing; dipped)- To immerse for a time
- To lower
- To lower and raise again (eg a flag)
- To cause (headlights) to shine below the eye level of oncoming motorists
- To baptize by immersion
- To lift by dipping (usu with up)
- To dye, clean or coat by dipping
- To immerse (fruit, wood, etc) in a preservative solution
- To immerse (esp sheep) in a chemical solution to prevent or clear infestation by insects, etc
- To moisten, suffuse (Milton)
- To involve in money difficulties (informal)
- To mortgage
- To pawn
intransitive verb- To plunge and emerge
- To go down briefly then up again
- To sink
- To reach down into something
- To enter slightly
- To fish by lowering the bait slightly into the water, then bobbing it gently on the surface
- To look cursorily
- To incline downwards
- To steal by picking pockets (slang)
- To practise snuff-dipping (qv under snuff1)
noun- The act of dipping
- A hollow
- A sag
- That which is taken by dipping
- An inclination downwards
- A sloping
- (of the headlights of a car, etc) the state of being dipped
- The angle a stratum of rock makes with a horizontal plane (geology)
- The angle between the horizontal and the earth's magnetic field
- Magnetic dip
- A bath
- A short swim
- A liquid (such as a chemical solution or a dye) in which anything is dipped (such as sheep, garments, etc)
- A creamy mixture into which food may be dipped before being eaten
- A candle made by dipping a wick in tallow
- A pickpocket (slang)
- A stupid or foolish person (N American slang)
ORIGIN: OE dyppan, causal of dȳpan to plunge in, from dēop deep; cf Dan dyppe; Ger taufen to immerse dippˈer noun - Someone who or that which dips
- A ladle
- A bucket or scoop of a dredge or excavator
- A device for directing motor car headlights upwards or downwards (also dipswitch)
- A dipping bird (genus Cinclus), the water ouzel
- The dabchick (US)
- (with cap) the Plough (astronomy)
- A pickpocket (slang)
- A nickname for a Baptist, esp a Dunker
dippˈing noun - The action of the verb
- Snuff-dipping
dipˈ-circle or dippˈing-needle noun An instrument for determining magnetic dip dipˈ-net noun A long-handled net for dipping up fish dipˈ-pipe noun A pipe with submerged outlet, esp in gasworks dipˈ-secˈtor noun An instrument for determining the dip of the visible horizon dipˈ-slope noun (geology) A slope of ground coinciding with the dip of the rocks dipˈstick noun - A rod for measuring depth of liquid in a sump, etc
- A stupid or foolish person (slang; derogatory)
dipˈswitch see dipper above. dipˈ-trap noun A bend in a pipe containing liquid to cut off gases dip in To take a share dip into - To put one's hand into to remove something
- To take or use (eg money from a fund)
- To read cursorily in
dip of the horizon The angle of the visible horizon below the level of the eye dip of the needle The angle a balanced magnetic needle makes with the horizontal plane dip snuff To practise snuff-dipping (qv under snuff1) |