sip

¹ American  

[sip] / sɪp /

verb (used with object)

sipped, sipping

1. to drink (a liquid) a little at a time; take small tastes of.

   He sipped the hot tea noisily.

2. to drink from a little at a time.

   The bird sipped the flower.

3. to take in; absorb.

   to sip knowledge at its source.

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verb (used without object)

sipped, sipping

1. to drink by sips.

noun

1. an instance of sipping; a small taste of a liquid.

   One sip told me that the milk was sour.

2. a small quantity taken by sipping.

   Take just a sip, not a gulp or a swallow.

SIP ² American  

1. supplemental income plan.

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sip British  

/ sɪp /

verb

1. to drink (a liquid) by taking small mouthfuls; drink gingerly or delicately

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noun

1. a small quantity of a liquid taken into the mouth and swallowed

2. an act of sipping

Related Words

See drink.

Other Word Forms

• sipper noun
• sippingly adverb
• unsipped adjective

Etymology

Origin of sip

1350–1400; Middle English sippen (v.), akin to Low German sippen to sip

Example Sentences

Yet anyone who enjoys beer knows that this foam often disappears quickly, collapsing before the first sip.

From Science Daily

“He sipped water like it was poison,” says Jackson, his grandson’s wife.

From The Wall Street Journal

While sipping drinks at a cowboy bar, Helen wonders what it will take for Carol to be content at long last.

From Salon

It’s non-alcoholic, making it the perfect option for everyone, regardless of age, to sip and savor.

From Salon

“My target is to pay the rent, pay the insurance and pay the guys,” the owner told his manager as they sipped coffee in the early morning November chill and waited for their first customer.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• imbibe
• quaff
• savor