sheep-dip

American  

[sheep-dip] / ˈʃipˌdɪp /

noun

1. a lotion or wash applied to the fleece or skin of sheep to kill vermin, usually applied by immersing the animals in vats.

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sheep-dip British  

noun

1. any of several liquid disinfectants and insecticides in which sheep are immersed to kill vermin and germs in their fleece

2. a deep trough containing such a liquid

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Etymology

Origin of sheep-dip

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

Last time you and I were together, we were at an event in D.C. where it felt like people were starting to get the message about this Leonard Leo sheep-dip process.

From Slate • Nov. 25, 2024

Approval for diazinon, mostly used as a sheep-dip in the UK, was revoked in this country in 1999 and its use in agriculture phased out from that date.

From The Guardian • Oct. 1, 2010

There is a pause, during which my father spits, and then the conversation turns to the price of cattle, the E.E.C., butter mountains, the cost of lime and sheep-dip.

From The New Yorker • Feb. 8, 2010

Tommy himself admits that some of his show-biz colleagues might consider the deal "demeaning," and that off-season substitute series are "generally so much sheep-dip."

From Time Magazine Archive

"The idea of lightin' sheep-dip in a sick-room!"

From The Winds of Chance by Beach, Rex Ellingwood