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• pip
  pip

  noun

  one of the spots on dice, playing cards, or dominoes.
• Pip
  Pip

  noun

  a male given name, form of Philip.

pip

¹ American  

[pip] / pɪp /

noun

1. one of the spots on dice, playing cards, or dominoes.

   You need to match the two pips on this domino with two pips on one of your dominoes.

2. each of the small segments into which the surface of a pineapple is divided.

   Cut off the top of the pineapple, slicing through the first row of pips.

3. Informal. metal insigne of rank on the shoulders of commissioned officers.

   the museum's collection of German pips and buttons.

4. Horticulture.

   1. an individual rootstock of a plant, especially of the lily of the valley.

      This low-growing perennial forms dense clumps from its slender pips.

   2. a portion of the rootstock or root of several other plants.

      The peony's pips are those budlike growths at the top of the tuber.

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pip ² American  

[pip] / pɪp /

noun

1. Veterinary Pathology: Older Use. a contagious disease of birds, especially poultry, characterized by the secretion of a thick mucus in the mouth and throat.

   The last thing they wanted to find in the henhouse was a chicken with pip.

2. Facetious. Usually the pip any minor or unspecified ailment in a person.

   Oh, no, not that annoying neighbor—he gives me the pip.

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pip ³ American  

[pip] / pɪp /

noun

1. a small seed, especially of a fleshy fruit, as an apple or orange.

   Does the juicer remove the pips or just grind them up?

2. Also called pipperoo. Informal. someone or something wonderful.

   Last night's party was a pip.

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pip ⁴ American  

[pip] / pɪp /

verb (used without object)

pipped, pipping

1. to peep or chirp.

   Listen to those chicks pip!

2. (of a hatching bird) to break out from the shell.

   How long before the eaglets start pipping?

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verb (used with object)

pipped, pipping

1. to crack or chip a hole through (the shell), as a hatching bird.

   All but one of the new brood has pipped through their shells.

pip ⁵ American  

[pip] / pɪp /

noun

Electronics.

1. blip.

   observing the radar screen for unusual pips.

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pip ⁶ American  

[pip] / pɪp /

verb (used with object)

British Slang.

pipped, pipping

1. to blackball.

   Are you telling me I've been pipped from the entire music industry?

2. to defeat (an opponent).

   No one expected our team to pip those hotshots from Birmingham.

3. to shoot, especially to wound or kill by a gunshot.

   Get that pistol out of here before someone gets pipped.

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Pip ⁷ American  

[pip] / pɪp /

noun

1. a male given name, form of Philip.

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pip ¹ British  

/ pɪp /

noun

1. a short high-pitched sound, a sequence of which can act as a time signal, esp on radio

2. a radar blip

3. 1. a spot or single device, such as a spade, diamond, heart, or club on a playing card

   2. any of the spots on dice or dominoes

4. Also called: star. informal the emblem worn on the shoulder by junior officers in the British Army, indicating their rank

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verb

1. 1. (intr) to chirp; peep

   2. to pierce (the shell of its egg) while hatching

2. (intr) to make a short high-pitched sound

pip ² British  

/ pɪp /

noun

1. a contagious disease of poultry characterized by the secretion of thick mucus in the mouth and throat

2. facetious a minor human ailment

3. slang a bad temper or depression (esp in the phrase give ( someone ) the pip )

4. informal to sulk

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verb

1. slang to cause to be annoyed or depressed

pip ³ British  

/ pɪp /

noun

1. the seed of a fleshy fruit, such as an apple or pear

2. any of the segments marking the surface of a pineapple

3. a rootstock or flower of the lily of the valley or certain other plants

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pip ⁴ British  

/ pɪp /

verb

1. to wound or kill, esp with a gun

2. to defeat (a person), esp when his success seems certain (often in the phrase pip at the post )

3. to blackball or ostracize

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Etymology

Origin of pip¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; earlier peep; origin uncertain

Origin of pip²

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English pippe, from Middle Dutch, from unattested Vulgar Latin pipita, for Latin pītuīta “phlegm, pip”

Origin of pip³

First recorded in 1590–1600; 1910–15 pip ³ for def. 2; short for pippin

Origin of pip⁴

First recorded in 1650–60; variant of peep ²

Origin of pip⁵

First recorded in 1940–45; imitative

Origin of pip⁶

First recorded in 1875–80; perhaps special use of pip ¹, in metaphorical sense of a small ball

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pip Pip pipped pipping

They succeeded occasionally—Liverpool managed to pip him to a couple of championships—but Guardiola’s City took the title in six of the past eight years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026

Hatching is underway, and it can take 24 to 48 hours to complete after the first pip, the nonprofit said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026

Schjelderup drilled in his second early in the second period, although Real pulled one back through Mbappe, leaving Benfica needing to score again to pip Marseille to the last play-off spot.

From Barron's ● Jan. 28, 2026

They beat the Tennessee Titans 41-7 to pip the Houston Texans to the AFC South top spot.

From BBC ● Jan. 8, 2026

His foreman was a man defeated by his own pessimistic views, and his news was mostly a series of misfortunes: the strawberries froze, the chickens caught the pip, the grapes rotted.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

The couple owned a miniature Australian Shepherd named Pip.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

Min said that Pip was present at their deaths and is now being cared for by a friend.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

Pip is designed to support people with the extra costs of being disabled or living with long-term physical or mental health conditions, and eligibility is not affected by a person's income or savings.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

Instead, it commissioned a review into Pip led by Sir Stephen, the minister for social security and disability, to make recommendations that would make it "fit and fair for the future".

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

It had no set beginning, as Dear Mr. Pip, or Dear Pip, or Dear Sir, or Dear Anything, but ran thus:—

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

Lewis, who pipped 2025 Super League Man Of Steel Jake Connor to a place in England's squad, has not even made the bench for Saturday's fixture.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

And in 2012, it pipped United to its first Premier League title.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

Villa pulled off a real coup when they pipped Newcastle to Freiburg's 20-year-old midfielder Johan Manzambi, who was a stand-out performer for Switzerland at the World Cup.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Manzambi had an excellent tournament, and Villa pipped Newcastle to sign him.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

Nay," said McPhail, "I'm pipped, I have got to go.

From Tommy by Joseph Hocking

"Oh, what a lap, gorgeous," said an ecstatic Norris after pipping world championship leader Antonelli by just 0.011 seconds.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

It was a huge coup for the Hammers, pipping the world's best clubs to add 22-year-olds Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano to Alan Pardew's squad.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

The margin of the victory was key, with England pipping Germany to top spot on goal difference and the only automatic spot.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

Johnson had never claimed a podium spot in Cortina before Sunday but outshone the rest of the field from sixth on the starting list, pipping Germany's rising star Emma Aicher by just 0.04sec.

From Barron's ● Feb. 8, 2026

As a rule it takes ducklings from 24 to 48 hours to hatch after the pipping first begins.

From Ducks and Geese by Harry M. Lamon

Related Words

• kernel
• pit
• seed