dipstick

[ dip-stik ]

/ ˈdɪpˌstɪk /

noun

a rod for measuring the depth of a liquid; especially, a thin metal rod used to measure the oil level in the crankcase of an automotive engine.

Slang. fool; jerk.

Nearby words

dipsomania, dipsomaniac, dipsomaniacal, dipsosis, dipsotherapy, dipstick, dipstick test, dipsy-doodle, dipt, diptera, dipteral

Origin of dipstick

First recorded in 1925–30; dip¹ + stick¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for dipstick

dipstick

/ (ˈdɪpˌstɪk) /

noun

a graduated rod or strip dipped into a container to indicate the fluid level

British slang a fool

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012