sip

¹

[sip]

verb (used with object)

sipped, sipping 

1. to drink (a liquid) a little at a time; take small tastes of.

   He sipped the hot tea noisily.

2. to drink from a little at a time.

   The bird sipped the flower.

3. to take in; absorb.

   to sip knowledge at its source.

verb (used without object)

sipped, sipping 

1. to drink by sips.

noun

1. an instance of sipping; a small taste of a liquid.

   One sip told me that the milk was sour.

2. a small quantity taken by sipping.

   Take just a sip, not a gulp or a swallow.

SIP

²

1. supplemental income plan.

sip

/ sɪp /

verb

1. to drink (a liquid) by taking small mouthfuls; drink gingerly or delicately

noun

1. a small quantity of a liquid taken into the mouth and swallowed

2. an act of sipping

Other Word Forms

• sippingly adverb
• unsipped adjective
• sipper noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sip¹

1350–1400; Middle English sippen (v.), akin to Low German sippen to sip

Word History and Origins

Origin of sip¹

C14: probably from Low German sippen

Synonym Study

See drink.

Example Sentences

Yet anyone who enjoys beer knows that this foam often disappears quickly, collapsing before the first sip.

Read more on Science Daily

“He sipped water like it was poison,” says Jackson, his grandson’s wife.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

While sipping drinks at a cowboy bar, Helen wonders what it will take for Carol to be content at long last.

Read more on Salon

It’s non-alcoholic, making it the perfect option for everyone, regardless of age, to sip and savor.

Read more on Salon

“My target is to pay the rent, pay the insurance and pay the guys,” the owner told his manager as they sipped coffee in the early morning November chill and waited for their first customer.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• imbibe 
• quaff 
• savor