blip
Americannoun
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Also called pip. Electronics.
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a spot of light on a radar screen indicating the position of a plane, submarine, or other object.
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(loosely) any small spot of light on a display screen.
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a brief upturn, as in revenue or income.
The midwinter blip was no cause for optimism among store owners.
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anything small, as in amount or number.
a blip of light; Those opposed were merely a blip in the opinion polls.
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Slang. a nickel; five cents.
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Movies. a mark of synchronization on a sound track.
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a small or brief interruption, as in the continuity of a motion-picture film or the supply of light or electricity.
There were blips in the TV film where the commercials had been edited out.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
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a repetitive sound, such as that produced by an electronic device, by dripping water, etc
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Also called: pip. the spot of light or a sharply peaked pulse on a radar screen indicating the position of an object
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a temporary irregularity recorded in performance of something
verb
Etymology
Origin of blip
1890–95, for an earlier sense; sound symbolism, with p for brevity and abrupt end of the impulse; bl- perhaps from blink
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.
And the scary part for the rest of the NFL is that this year’s success hardly looks like a blip.
The reading undershot the 50.1 forecast of economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal and reversed a one-month blip above the 50 threshold separating contraction from expansion.
“We view this as a short-term blip and do not expect a significant change to the timeline; we still target closing in the first half of 2027.”
Their blip on Sunday against Everton meant they missed out on the chance to move second, within four points of Premier League leaders Arsenal - Emery's old club.
From BBC
Is it just a blip for Guardiola's side or something more concerning?
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.