dipstick
Americannoun
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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.
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Slang. fool; jerk.
noun
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a graduated rod or strip dipped into a container to indicate the fluid level
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slang a fool
Etymology
Origin of dipstick
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.
The MP has suffered from menopause-induced UTIs for more than a decade but said the "dipstick" test usually used to diagnose an infection was not sensitive enough.
From BBC • May 21, 2025
The company says heat and pressure can build up in the transmission, expelling fluid from the dipstick tube.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 17, 2022
Silva jumped right into the preflight inspection, calculating the fuel levels with a dipstick.
From Washington Post • Jun. 2, 2022
But we do like to check in on how things are progressing, which means occasionally pulling the dipstick on the oil pan.
From Fox News • Mar. 26, 2020
How many chances do you get to show that the guy who runs the entire city school system is an even bigger dipstick than you are?
From "Ungifted" by Gordon Korman
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.
