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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

Two seasons ago Spurs missed out on a Champions League place after losing their final home game 2-0 to Manchester City, who went on to win pip Arsenal to the Premier League title.

From BBC ● May 8, 2026

Watchers on Saturday spotted what appeared to be a pip in the second egg.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 5, 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

Kyle half expected the guy to say “pip pip, cheerio” or something.

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein

The government told the paper: "Pip, as designed in 2013, is no longer fit for purpose".

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

A recent interim report by the disability minister, Sir Stephen Timms, external, co-produced with disability groups, accepts that Pip is "not fit for purpose".

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Welfare cuts: What's been happening with Pip and universal credit?

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

Pip claims, especially for conditions such as anxiety and ADHD, have soared in the years since the Covid pandemic, putting increasing pressure on the public finances.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

“But not all of it? Why sure you don’t mean to say, Pip, that there was no black welwet co—eh?”

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

Antonelli pipped Red Bull's Max Verstappen by 0.043 seconds in a qualifying session that kept spectators and viewers on their edge of their seats until the very end.

From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026

Until this year, the tightest margin of victory belonged to Al Unser, Jr., who pipped Scott Goodyear to the line by 0.043 seconds in 1992.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026

John: Narrowly beaten in hot Cheltenham handicaps on each of his past three starts this season, including when pipped in the Ultima Handicap Chase by Johnnywho.

From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026

Russell pipped Antonelli, who took his maiden win at the last race in China, by just 0.026 seconds after the two drivers swapped fastest times in the middle of the session.

From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026

From its present defiant attitude in a cooked form we figured it had pipped the shell with a burglar's jimmy and joined the Dominecker Kid's gang before it shed its pin-feathers.

From From Place to Place by Cobb, Irvin S. (Irvin Shrewsbury)

World number one Nelly Korda won her first US Women's Open title, pipping England's Charley Hull to victory by a single shot.

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026

After pipping the New York Yankees for the division title, they knocked out the Yankees in the AL division series, then rallied from 0-2 down to beat the Seattle Mariners in the AL championship series.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2025

Last year English post-punk band English Teacher won with their debut album "This Could Be Texas", pipping favourite Charli XCX.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2025

John Robinson, who works at Bishop Challoner Catholic College in Birmingham, won the final on Monday with a total of 30 points, pipping fellow contestant Claire Reynolds on the last question.

From BBC ● May 20, 2025

He had at that time a pig which was ready for pipping; she had a litter of seven, and they all died.

From Animal Ghosts Or, Animal Hauntings and the Hereafter by O'Donnell, Elliott

Related Words

• kernel
• pit
• seed