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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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(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
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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
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something taken up by dipping
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a container used for dipping; dipper
-
a momentary sinking down
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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
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a creamy mixture into which pieces of food are dipped before being eaten
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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
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have diptperfect
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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:
A year after my divorce, I wanted to dip my toe back into dating.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
U.S. stock-index futures ES00 YM00 NQ00 are higher as Treasury yields BX:TMUBMUSD10Y dip.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
Samsung did a lot of work to minimize the crease—the dip between the two halves of the big interior display—but it’s still clearly there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Such a dip is not unusual following the assassination of a central founding figure like Kirk, says Mark Brewer, chair of the political science department at the University of Maine.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
How she could ward off the malocchio, the evil eye, with a prayer and the dip of her pinkie into a bowl of water sprinkled with a few drops of olive oil.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
The researchers found several important differences between PIP and DIP joints.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 5, 2026
But a target date to reach 3% of GDP of defence spending was not in the DIP.
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
So a clearer way to discuss the size of the DIP funding shortfall is around £1.2bn a year.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
DIP is also a punning name for a tallow-chandler.
From 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
“There’s not an organization — maybe outside — that didn’t go through a change, a downfall, a dip. But the cream will rise to the top. To me, it’s not a matter of ‘if.’
From Washington Times ● Nov. 2, 2023
“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
“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
“Your stepfather is just worried about money. That’s all. Besides,” she added, “Gabriel won’t have to setde for bean dip. I’ll make him enough seven-layer dip for the whole weekend. Guacamole. Sour cream. The works.”
From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan
"We also plan to stay here our whole lives," George adds, explaining that they are prepared to ride out any dips in the property market.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Oil prices have been making small dips, then moving sideways briefly before rising again.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
As the sun dips below the horizon, a fleet of onlookers on jet skis and boats idle on the water to catch a peek of the vivacious scene.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
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
Maddy tosses her ponytail and dips a spoon in her yogurt, like what she’s saying is no big deal.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
Sure enough, when De Paula stepped into the batter’s box at Loan Depot Park, he wasn’t tempted to swing at the first-pitch curveball that dipped below the zone.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
The audience erupted with screams even before the show began, as the band broadcast their music videos on the O2 Arena's big screens, and the noise barely dipped for the next three hours.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Yields on 10-year US Treasuries and Japanese government bonds of the same length both dipped.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
Still, shares dipped more than 5% premarket after its guidance for the current quarter fell short of Wall Street expectations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Then Liam dipped his oars into the water again.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
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
These Sweats may be rendered full more effectual, by wrapping up the affected Part in a Flanel dipt in the Decoction Nº.
From Advice to the people in general, with regard to their health by S. A. D. (Samuel Auguste David) Tissot
It should be dipt in boiling water, squeezed dry, and floured, when to be used.
From The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches, Adapted to the Use of Private Families by Mary Eaton
Why, you see, last year I was dipt a little to the fishmonger, and wrote a matrimonial letter home hinting at trousseaus and other expenses, but mentioning no names.
From Tales from Blackwood, Volume 7 by Herbert Willis
They can go on flatbread with goat cheese, over toast, or beside good bread for dipping.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
But as the manager of a smaller company, he is nervous about how long these strategies will work if diesel prices don’t start dipping.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Pedro Porro: The World Cup winner played further forward on the right wing and had a couple of openings, seeing a shot blocked by Hall and a dipping volley go just over.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
The WSJ’s Jean Eaglesham writes that, after dipping on earlier hopes of a lasting ceasefire, rates have shot back up, brokers said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
The boys sat out on a rock surrounded by water, while the girls stood knee-deep in the waves, dipping and rubbing the clothing.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
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.
