dipstick

American

[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.

dipstick British

/ ˈdɪpˌstɪk /

noun

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

Etymology

Origin of dipstick

First recorded in 1925–30; dip ¹ + stick ¹

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.

Eventually, I found the dipstick which reads nothing.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 23, 2022

Silva jumped right into the preflight inspection, calculating the fuel levels with a dipstick.

From Washington Post • Jun. 2, 2022

"If you are relying on dipstick testing and the patients has symptoms of a UTI, you cannot rule out the possibility of false negative test," he says.

From BBC • Nov. 11, 2021

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