dip
verb (used with object)
to plunge (something, as a cloth or sponge) temporarily into a liquid, so as to moisten it, dye it, or cause it to take up some of the liquid.
dip
1 American
[dip]
/ dɪp /
verb (used with object)
-
dips,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dipped,
past participle, past
-
dipt,
past participle, past (Archaic)
-
dipping
present participle
-
to plunge (something, as a cloth or sponge) temporarily into a liquid, so as to moisten it, dye it, or cause it to take up some of the liquid.
He dipped the brush into the paint bucket.
- Synonyms:
- duck
-
to raise or take up by a bailing, scooping, or ladling action.
to dip water out of a boat; to dip ice cream from a container.
- Synonyms:
- scoop
-
to lower and raise.
to dip a flag in salutation.
-
to immerse (a sheep, hog, etc.) in a solution to destroy germs, parasites, or the like.
-
to make (a candle) by repeatedly plunging a wick into melted tallow or wax.
-
Nautical. to lower and rehoist (a yard of a lugsail) when coming about in tacking.
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Archaic. to baptize by immersion.
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Obsolete. to moisten or wet as if by immersion.
verb (used without object)
-
dips,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dipped,
past participle, past
-
dipt,
past participle, past (Archaic)
-
dipping
present participle
-
to plunge into water or other liquid and emerge quickly.
The boat dipped into the waves.
- Synonyms:
- dive
-
to put the hand, a dipper, etc., down into a liquid or a container, especially in order to remove something (often followed by in orinto ).
He dipped into the jar for an olive.
-
to withdraw something, especially in small amounts (usually followed by in orinto ).
to dip into savings.
-
to sink or drop down.
The sun dipped below the horizon.
-
to incline or slope downward.
At that point the road dips into a valley.
-
to decrease slightly or temporarily.
Stock-market prices often dip on Fridays.
-
to engage slightly in a subject (often followed by in orinto ).
to dip into astronomy.
-
to read here and there in a book, subject, or author's work (often followed by in orinto ).
to dip into Plato.
-
South Midland and Southern U.S. to take snuff.
noun
-
the act of dipping.
-
that which is taken up by dipping.
-
a quantity taken up by dipping; the amount that a scoop, ladle, dipper, etc., will hold.
-
a scoop of ice cream.
-
Chiefly Northern U.S. a liquid or soft substance into which something is dipped.
-
a creamy mixture of savory foods for scooping with potato chips, crackers, and the like, often served as an hors d'oeuvre, especially with cocktails.
-
a momentary lowering; a sinking down.
-
a moderate or temporary decrease.
a dip in stock-market prices.
-
a downward extension, inclination, slope, or course.
-
the amount of such extension.
-
a hollow or depression in the land.
-
a brief swim.
She took a dip in the ocean and then sat on the beach for an hour.
-
Geology, Mining. the downward inclination of a vein or stratum with reference to the horizontal.
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the angular amount by which the horizon lies below the level of the eye.
-
Also called magnetic inclination, magnetic dip;, inclination, angle of dip. the angle that a freely rotating magnetic needle makes with the plane of the horizon.
-
a short, downward plunge, as of an airplane.
-
a candle made by repeatedly dipping a wick into melted tallow or wax.
-
Gymnastics. an exercise on the parallel bars in which the elbows are bent until the chin is on a level with the bars, and then the body is elevated by straightening the arms.
-
Slang. a pickpocket.
idioms
dip
2
American
[dip]
/ dɪp /
noun
Slang.
dip
3
American
[dip]
/ dɪp /
noun
Slang.
DIP
4
American
[dip]
/ dɪp /
noun
Computers.
dip.
1
British
abbreviation
dip
2
British
/ dɪp /
verb
-
to plunge or be plunged quickly or briefly into a liquid, esp to wet or coat
-
(intr) to undergo a slight decline, esp temporarily
sales dipped in November
-
(intr) to slope downwards
the land dips towards the river
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(intr) to sink or appear to sink quickly
the sun dipped below the horizon
-
US and Canadian word: dim. (tr) to switch (car headlights) from the main to the lower beam
-
(tr)
-
to immerse (poultry, sheep, etc) briefly in a liquid chemical to rid them of or prevent infestation by insects, etc
-
to immerse (grain, vegetables, or wood) in a preservative liquid
-
-
(tr) to stain or dye by immersing in a liquid
-
(tr) to baptize (someone) by immersion
-
(tr) to plate or galvanize (a metal, etc) by immersion in an electrolyte or electrolytic cell
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(tr) to scoop up a liquid or something from a liquid in the hands or in a container
-
to lower or be lowered briefly
she dipped her knee in a curtsy
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(tr) to make (a candle) by plunging the wick into melted wax
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(intr) to plunge a container, the hands, etc, into something, esp to obtain or retrieve an object
he dipped in his pocket for money
-
(intr; foll by in or into) to dabble (in); play (at)
he dipped into black magic
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(intr) (of an aircraft) to drop suddenly and then regain height
-
(intr) (of a rock stratum or mineral vein) to slope downwards from the horizontal
-
(in children's games) to select (a leader, etc) by reciting any of various rhymes
-
slang (tr) to pick (a person's) pocket
noun
-
the act of dipping or state of being dipped
-
a brief swim in water
-
-
any liquid chemical preparation in which poultry, sheep, etc are dipped
-
any liquid preservative into which objects, esp of wood, are dipped
-
-
a preparation of dyeing agents into which fabric is immersed
-
a depression, esp in a landscape
-
something taken up by dipping
-
a container used for dipping; dipper
-
a momentary sinking down
-
the angle of slope of rock strata, fault planes, etc, from the horizontal plane
-
Also called: angle of dip, magnetic dip, 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
-
a creamy mixture into which pieces of food are dipped before being eaten
-
surveying the angular distance of the horizon below the plane of observation
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a candle made by plunging a wick repeatedly into wax
-
a momentary loss of altitude when flying
-
(in gymnastics) a chinning exercise on the parallel bars
-
a slang word for pickpocket
dip
Scientific
/ dĭp /
-
The downward inclination of a rock stratum or vein in reference to the plane of the horizon.
Usage
What is a basic definition of dip? Dip means to plunge something quickly in a liquid or to sink or go downward. A dip is a creamy mixture that chips or other foods are scooped into. Dip has many other senses as a verb and a noun. When something is dipped into a liquid, it is usually only submerged for a short time to soak up some liquid.
- Real-life examples: Candy or scoops of ice cream may be dipped in chocolate or caramel. A paint brush is dipped in paint. A thermometer might be dipped in a pool to measure temperature.
- Used in a sentence: I dipped my foot in the pool to see how cold it was.
- Real-life examples: Temperatures dip when it becomes cold. Prices tend to dip during the holidays. A company’s stock value may dip.
- Used in a sentence: Oil prices dipped after the announcement of a new line of electric cars.
- Used in a sentence: I know how to make a pretty good spinach dip.
Synonym Usage
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 chicken into boiling water before stripping off the feathers.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
dipsimple
-
dipssimple
-
have dippedperfect
-
have diptperfect
-
has dippedperfect
-
has diptperfect
-
am dippingprogressive
-
are dippingprogressive
-
is dippingprogressive
-
have been dippingperfect progressive
-
has been dippingperfect progressive
Past
-
dippedsimple
-
diptsimple
-
had dippedperfect
-
had diptperfect
-
was dippingprogressive
-
were dippingprogressive
-
had been dippingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dip1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English verb dippen, duppen “to dip, moisten, plunge,” Old English dyppan “to baptize”; akin to German taufen “to baptize,” and to deep
Origin of dip2
First recorded in 1910–15; by shortening
Origin of dip3
First recorded in 1925–30; probably back formation from dippy
Origin of DIP4
d(ual) i(n-line) p(ackage)
Explanation
When you dip something, you plunge it quickly into a liquid or soft substance. You might dip your toe into a swimming pool to check the water temperature. When you finger paint, you dip a fingertip into a puddle of paint, and when you eat a snack you might dip tortilla chips into salsa. You can also say that a boat bobbing on the ocean dips, or that a bird dropping lower in the sky dips down. A dip can be a quick swim, a delicious sauce meant for dunking other foods in, or a downward slope. The Old English root, dyppan, means "immerse" or "baptize."
Vocabulary lists containing dip
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
By night, temperatures will dip into the single digits with the chance of fog developing in some areas.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
The chart also shows the dip where the index entered its first correction this year, on March 27.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
Murdoch said Fox News saw a similar ratings dip during the 2006 midterm campaign when then-President George W. Bush was in his second term.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
August’s activity reflected a modest 0.1% expansion in activity by goods-producing industries, balancing a 0.1% dip by services producers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
The line for her lures and dip bait was never fewer than twenty people deep.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
The researchers found several important differences between PIP and DIP joints.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 5, 2026
The prime minister's spokesperson said they would not speculate on the future of the DIP.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
But a target date to reach 3% of GDP of defence spending was not in the DIP.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
The Times continues with the DIP fallout, saying "Burnham's first job will be to find £7bn of cuts."
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
The inclination of a bed of rocks to the horizon is its DIP.
From The Elements of Geology by William Harmon Norton
“On a typical selloff, retail buy the dip. Today, that bid has effectively disappeared from individual names,” wrote Vanda’s Viraj Patel in commentary shared with MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
“We’ve taken a dip. Now it’s time to get it back,” coach Jared Bednar said.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 26, 2022
“We’re due for a correction. It’s like the market is addicted to buying the dip. Every time it goes down five or six percent, all this liquidity jumps in to prop us back up.”
From Reuters ● Sep. 20, 2021
This includes the tortilla chips that come with salsa and a chipotle bean dip. and the handmade corn tortillas that accompany the chile verde, rice and beans.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 25, 2017
“Chocolate fizzy fondue? There's lightning lollies to dip. Anyone want one?”
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
The locations and shapes of these dips provide clues about the speed and movement of galactic winds.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026
“I shepherded it for 18 years, and we had a great run. We had a lot of fun with the place, and served a lot of dips and a lot of drinks.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
Individual investors have grown a bit more selective in 2026, analysts say, opting to throw their weight behind a few high-conviction names over buying broader market dips.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Feng pointed out that as the AI boom accelerated, his firm was able to actively hire new AI talent during performance dips for the industry, leading to “prolific model development” currently contributing to outperformance.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
She dips and kicks and spins on her toes and crouches down to the floor with one leg behind her other leg.
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
While stock futures initially dipped overnight, major indexes have come roaring back since the opening bell.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
That is up from 6.3% at the beginning of the year, when mortgage rates were falling and briefly dipped below 6%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Boeing's revenues for commercial aircraft dipped from the year-ago period.
From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026
Facing different defenses than he saw while being the Lakers’ fourth offensive option, Hachimura’s efficiency has dipped.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
The sub’s bow dipped, and the boat slid beneath the surface.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see .
From Time Magazine Archive
Disregarding the roses and raptures of vice, she paints, with a small brush dipt in gilt, the lilies and languors of virtue.
From Time Magazine Archive
Only the Wasps, Hornets and Humble-Bee, must be dryed in an Oven, their heads dipt in Sheeps blood, and dryed again, may be kept in a Box for use.
From The School of Recreation (1684 edition) Or, The Gentlemans Tutor, to those Most Ingenious Exercises of Hunting, Racing, Hawking, Riding, Cock-fighting, Fowling, Fishing by Robert Howlett
Apply to the head clothes dipt in cold water.
From Chapters in the History of the Insane in the British Isles by Daniel Hack Tuke
Shafts for shuttles, dipt in gore, Shoot the trembling cords along; Swords, that once a monarch bore, Keep the tissue close and strong.
From Select Poems of Thomas Gray by Robert Carruthers
Maher was dipping back into the attention he received in 2025, when he first dined with Trump and described the president as “gracious and measured.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
By seeking public office, “I was dipping my big toe into a tide of ambition, ego, and irrationality,” he wrote later.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Dressed in shorts, sandals and a dark baseball cap, the former Ukrainian Special Forces soldier strolled back and forth, chatting with the receptionist and dipping repeatedly into a bowl of free snacks.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Happily, you did not mention dipping into your retirement savings or the need to take out a loan, so I’m hoping those options are not on the table.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
As we drove to the trailer, the sun dipping in the sky, its last rays reaching across the highway, I thought about the Apache women.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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