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
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
-
(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
-
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
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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
-
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:
Some fans said they noticed that dip in quality back then.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
“You can dip your toes into the founder world with very little risk and a lot of upside,” Callaway said about the market today, adding, “It’s a nice way to get a job at Anthropic.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
The solution for many is a quick trip to the beach for a dip in the ocean, but the timing could not be worse.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
The first question on Merrill Lynch’s online risk-tolerance quiz is: “You want to keep at least $100,000 in a certain investment account. A market dip drops the value to $95,000. What’s your reaction?”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
If he has a dad, his voice will dip when he talks about him like Granddaddy.
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
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
The prime minister's spokesperson said they would not speculate on the future of the DIP.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
He adds that the funding gap created by the DIP fits in the more "modest" category by historic standards of spending decisions taken between Budgets.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
Sir Keir said today that the DIP increases this by "a further £15bn".
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 Steele, Guy L.
“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
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
"Gamers are willing to trade a little fidelity for convenience, but not to pay premium prices for something they don't own which stutters when the Wi-Fi dips," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Taylor Farms also expanded its produce offerings this year, launching a protein-forward line with whey protein in its dressings and dips, along with more cheese and crunchy toppings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
The “Little House” devotees who prefer to write off the books’ dips into racism by accepting them as a reflection of a time in America may also have been influenced by the TV show’s filter.
From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026
“Timothy Bartlett,” he says with a flourish as he dips into a hand-rolling bow.
From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
Xbox has also seen its own struggles lately, with owner Microsoft recently revealing revenues had dipped across its gaming division, external.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
The resumption of hostilities has caused global oil prices, which had dipped during the initial ceasefire, to rise once more.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
Tomato already knows butter from ghee-rich curries, grilled cheese dipped in tomato soup and Marcella Hazan’s famously spare sauce.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
Humidity levels dipped through Wednesday, allowing for more overnight cooling, which provided a bit of relief, forecasters said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
On February 17, the sun dipped below the horizon at midnight for the first time.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
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
A Man, torn by the bite of a savage Dog, threw a piece of bread, dipt in his blood, to the offender; a thing that he had heard was a remedy for the wound.
From The Fables of Phædrus Literally translated into English prose with notes by Riley, Henry T. (Henry Thomas)
It is an arrow pointed with the diamond of wit, dipt in the oil of kindness, that wounds but to heal.
From The Life of Benjamin Franklin With Many Choice Anecdotes and admirable sayings of this great man never before published by any of his biographers by Weems, Mason Locke
Apply to the head clothes dipt in cold water.
From Chapters in the History of the Insane in the British Isles by Tuke, Daniel Hack
If you had an unusually low-income year and can carefully manage your taxable income, or can spread withdrawals over several years instead of taking a single large distribution, dipping into your traditional IRA makes sense.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Nitrocellulose was invented in the mid-19th century, when Swiss chemist Christian Friedrich Schönbein accidentally discovered that cotton became violently flammable after dipping in an acid mix.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Rizzo was later sentenced to 12 years in state prison for dipping into city coffers to pay employees, including himself, exorbitant salaries.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
The latest poll by independent organisation Levada Center suggests Putin's approval rates are dipping to around 74%.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
As he spoke, he was dipping into his bag and producing the instruments for transfusion; I had taken off my coat and rolled up my shirt-sleeve.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
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.
