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
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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
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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.
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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.
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to withdraw something, especially in small amounts (usually followed by in orinto ).
to dip into savings.
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to sink or drop down.
The sun dipped below the horizon.
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to incline or slope downward.
At that point the road dips into a valley.
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to decrease slightly or temporarily.
Stock-market prices often dip on Fridays.
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to engage slightly in a subject (often followed by in orinto ).
to dip into astronomy.
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to read here and there in a book, subject, or author's work (often followed by in orinto ).
to dip into Plato.
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South Midland and Southern U.S. to take snuff.
noun
-
the act of dipping.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Also called magnetic inclination. Also called magnetic dip;. Also called inclination. Also called angle of dip,. the angle that a freely rotating magnetic needle makes with the plane of the horizon.
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a short, downward plunge, as of an airplane.
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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
/ 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
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(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
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US and Canadian word: dim. (tr) to switch (car headlights) from the main to the lower beam
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(tr)
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to immerse (poultry, sheep, etc) briefly in a liquid chemical to rid them of or prevent infestation by insects, etc
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to immerse (grain, vegetables, or wood) in a preservative liquid
-
-
(tr) to stain or dye by immersing in a liquid
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(tr) to baptize (someone) by immersion
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(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
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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
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(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
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(intr) (of a rock stratum or mineral vein) to slope downwards from the horizontal
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(in children's games) to select (a leader, etc) by reciting any of various rhymes
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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
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any liquid preservative into which objects, esp of wood, are dipped
-
-
a preparation of dyeing agents into which fabric is immersed
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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
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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.
2
British
abbreviation
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:
"Everybody will experience times where dealing with that environment for a long period of time, your energy levels would dip," he says.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
At a crucial industrial pinch-point on the Rhine, the water level is expected to dip below 4 inches this week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Don’t miss: ‘My wife and I are both retired’: Do we dip into our $2.3 million fund to pay off our $300,000 mortgage at 2.9%?
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
The Ojai Raptor Center reported a dip in Big Bear bald eagle Jackie’s blood values, leaving the livestream star in intensive care as experts work to find a cause.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
“Shouldn’t we dip his stub into some rubbing alcohol or something? Don’t we have ointment?”
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
The DIP says the plan to hit the 3% target would be set out at the next spending review, which is currently scheduled to take place next year.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
Sir Keir said the DIP would be built on by his successor, who is widely expected to be Makerfield MP Andy Burnham.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
Earlier the UK government said the DIP included £50m for Wales, which had been announced earlier this year and will be aimed at helping small and medium sized companies to grow.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
The DIP also pledges £1.1bn to upgrade the RAF's Typhoon fighters based at RAF Coningsby, in Lincolnshire, alongside major investments in drone technology.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
Unfortunately, even the PCI bus is not up to pulling this off reliably, and people who have to do installation or troubleshoot PCs soon find themselves longing for the DIP switches.
From The Jargon File, Version 4.2.2, 20 Aug 2000 by Guy L. Steele
“We’ve taken a dip. Now it’s time to get it back,” coach Jared Bednar said.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 26, 2022
“Every summer we’d see a big spike, and every fall we’d see a small dip. But it ended up trending upwards.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2021
“The things that are happening now are bad, but there’s cycles. … There are dips, and we’re in a dip. But we are constantly, I think, going in an upward trajectory.”
From Washington Post ● Oct. 2, 2018
"You have to be a buyer of ARM on the dip. It not only provides Apple with chips but also Samsung, and they get all the royalties," said Beaufort Securities sales trader Basil Petrides.
From Reuters ● Jan. 28, 2015
“Chocolate fizzy fondue? There's lightning lollies to dip. Anyone want one?”
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
They also had smaller initial dips in performance as they got started, researchers at Rutgers and Cornell universities found.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Where the researchers expected to see a smooth spectrum produced by light reflecting from dust, they instead found a pattern of peaks and dips.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026
Crackers have spent enough time under cheese, beside soup, tucked politely next to salads and dips.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
At club level his conversion rate dips a bit, with 50 goals from 62 attempts.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
He removes the rag from my forehead, dips it in water, and then squeezes out the excess.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
Nobody wants to order mozzarella sticks anymore, they want the adventure of finding the best secret combo of mozzarella sticks dipped into various sauces in the cornucopia of a Chili’s Triple Dipper.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
The Blocks are among a crowd of consumers who dipped their toes into electric cars in an era when the deals were too good to pass up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
At the heart of Britain's coin factory, old Bank of England telephones are stripped down and dipped into giant vats to recover a hidden treasure: the gold in their circuits.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
Job openings dipped in June to a three-month low of 7.4 million, the government said Tuesday.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
Tiamat dipped her long neck, and Mary Lou embraced her.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
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
For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see .
From Time Magazine Archive
What boots it for thee to have dipt thy hand In odors wafted from Arabian land?
From Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce by E. R. Billings
As for external Medicaments, when the Burn is only superficial, take Onions and unslack'd Lime, quench'd in a Decoction of Rapes, and apply this Liquor very hot, with double Bolsters dipt therein.
From The Compleat Surgeon or, the whole Art of Surgery explain'd in a most familiar Method. by Charles Gabriel Le Clerc
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
You’ll be glad to know a lot you can do that does not involve dipping into your retirement funds, and/or redirecting valuable time and money away from your own family.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
I’ve got a dream London house, a dream jungle house, and I just enjoy dipping into another life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Díaz’s velocity was down to begin the year, dipping to about 95.5 mph in his last two outings before landing on the injured list.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
It meant when a point was harshly deducted for dipping his head low, the Englishman was trailing overall.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
The moon was almost full, and by its light I watched them fly to the lake, some dipping down and skimming the surface to drink.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
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.
