slip
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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to move, flow, pass, or go smoothly or easily; glide; slide.
Water slips off a smooth surface.
- Synonyms:
- slither
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to slide suddenly or involuntarily; to lose one's foothold, as on a smooth surface.
She slipped on the icy ground.
- Synonyms:
- slither
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to move, slide, or start gradually from a place or position.
His hat had slipped over his eyes.
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to slide out of or become disengaged from a fastening, the grasp, etc..
The soap slipped from my hand.
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to pass without having been acted upon or used; be lost; get away.
to let an opportunity slip.
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to pass from the mind, memory, or consciousness.
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to elapse or pass quickly or imperceptibly (often followed by away orby ).
The years slipped by.
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to become involved or absorbed easily.
to slip into a new way of life.
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to move or go quietly, cautiously, or unobtrusively.
to slip out of a room.
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to put on or take off a garment easily or quickly: He slipped off his shoes.
She slipped on the new sweater.
He slipped off his shoes.
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to make a mistake or error.
As far as I know, you haven't slipped once.
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to fall below a standard or accustomed level, or to decrease in quantity or quality; decline; deteriorate.
His work slipped last year.
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to be said or revealed inadvertently (usually followed byout ).
The words just slipped out.
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to read, study, consider, etc., without attention.
He slipped over the most important part.
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Aeronautics. (of an aircraft when excessively banked) to slide sideways, toward the center of the curve described in turning.
verb (used with object)
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to cause to move, pass, go, etc., with a smooth, easy, or sliding motion.
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to put, place, pass, insert, or withdraw quickly or stealthily.
to slip a letter into a person's hand.
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to put on or take off (a garment) easily or quickly.
He slipped the shirt over his head.
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to let or make (something) slide out of a fastening, the hold, etc..
I slipped the lock, and the door creaked open.
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to release from a leash, harness, etc., as a hound or a hawk.
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to get away or free oneself from; escape (a pursuer, restraint, leash, etc.).
The cow slipped its halter.
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to untie or undo (a knot).
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Nautical. to let go entirely, as an anchor cable or an anchor.
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to pass from or escape (one's memory, attention, knowledge, etc.).
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to dislocate; put out of joint or position.
I slipped a disk in my back.
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to shed or cast.
The rattlesnake slipped its skin.
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to ignore, pass over, or omit, as in speaking or writing.
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to let pass unheeded; neglect or miss.
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Boxing. to evade or avoid (a blow) by moving or turning the body quickly.
He slipped a right and countered with a hard left.
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(of animals) to bring forth (offspring) prematurely.
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British. to detach (a railway car) from a moving train as it passes through a station.
noun
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an act or instance of slipping.
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a sudden losing of one's foothold, as on slippery ground.
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a mistake in judgment; blunder.
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a mistake or oversight, as in speaking or writing, especially a small one due to carelessness.
a minor slip in addition; a slip of the tongue; a slip of the pen.
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an error in conduct; indiscretion.
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something easily slipped on or off.
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a decline or fall in quantity, quality, extent, etc., or from a standard or accustomed level.
a slip in prices.
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Clothing.
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a woman's undergarment, sleeveless and usually having shoulder straps, extending from above the bust down to the hemline of the outer dress.
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an underskirt, as a half-slip or petticoat.
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a pillowcase.
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an inclined plane, sloping to the water, on which vessels are built or repaired.
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Nautical. the difference between the speed at which a screw propeller or paddle wheel would move if it were working against a solid and the actual speed at which it advances through the water.
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a space between two wharves or in a dock for vessels to lie in.
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Electricity. the difference between the synchronous and the operating speeds of a motor.
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Machinery.
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the difference between output speed and input or theoretical speed in certain fluid or electromagnetic devices, as couplings or motors.
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(in pumps) the difference between the actual volume of water or other liquid delivered by a pump during one complete stroke and the theoretical volume as determined by calculation of the displacement.
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unintended movement or play between mechanical parts or the like.
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Cricket.
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the position of a fielder who stands behind and to the offside of the wicketkeeper.
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the fielder playing this position.
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Geology.
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the relative displacement of formerly adjacent points on opposite sides of a fault, measured along the fault plane.
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a small fault.
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Also called glide. Metallurgy. plastic deformation of one part of a metallic crystal relative to the other part due to shearing action.
verb phrase
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slip away
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to depart quietly or unobtrusively; steal off.
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to recede; slowly vanish.
All those facts I had memorized just slipped away.
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slip up to make an error; fail.
I slipped up and put the letter in the wrong envelope.
idioms
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slip a cog. cog.
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let slip, to reveal unintentionally.
to let slip the truth.
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give someone the slip, to elude a pursuer; escape.
The murderer gave the police the slip.
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slip something over on, to deceive; defraud; trick. Also slip one over on.
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slip someone's mind, to be forgotten.
I was supposed to phone, but it slipped my mind.
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slip between the cracks. crack.
noun
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a small paper form on which information is noted.
a withdrawal slip.
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a piece suitable for propagation cut from a plant; scion or cutting.
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any long, narrow piece or strip, as of wood, paper, or land.
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a young person, especially one of slender form.
a mere slip of a girl.
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a long seat or narrow pew in a church.
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Bookbinding. one of the ends of a band, extending at the sides of a book after sewing.
verb (used with object)
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to take slips or cuttings from (a plant).
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to take (a part), as a slip from a plant.
noun
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Ceramics. a clay solution of creamy consistency for coating or decorating biscuit.
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a glass-bearing liquid fired onto steel as a cladding, as in making enamelware.
noun
verb
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to move or cause to move smoothly and easily
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(tr) to place, insert, or convey quickly or stealthily
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(tr) to put on or take off easily or quickly
to slip on a sweater
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(intr) to lose balance and slide unexpectedly
he slipped on the ice
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to let loose or be let loose
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to be released from (something); escape
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(tr) to let go (mooring or anchor lines) over the side
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to pass out of (the mind or memory)
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(tr) to overlook, neglect, or miss
to slip an opportunity
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(intr) to move or pass swiftly or unperceived
to slip quietly out of the room
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to make a mistake
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Also: sideslip. to cause (an aircraft) to slide sideways or (of an aircraft) to slide sideways
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(intr) to decline in health, mental ability, etc
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(intr) (of an intervertebral disc) to become displaced from the normal position
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(tr) to dislocate (a bone)
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(of animals) to give birth to (offspring) prematurely
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(tr) to pass (a stitch) from one needle to another without knitting it
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(tr) to operate (the clutch of a motor vehicle) so that it partially disengages
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(intr) (of the clutch of a motor vehicle) to fail to engage, esp as a result of wear
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to allow to escape
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to say unintentionally
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slang to hoodwink or trick
noun
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the act or an instance of slipping
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a mistake or oversight
a slip of the pen
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a moral lapse or failing
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a woman's sleeveless undergarment, worn as a lining for and to give support to a dress
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a narrow space between two piers in which vessels may dock
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See slipway
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a kind of dog lead that allows for the quick release of the dog
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a small block of hard steel of known thickness used for measurement, usually forming one of a set
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the ratio between output speed and input speed of a transmission device when subtracted from unity, esp of a drive belt or clutch that is not transmitting full power
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cricket
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the position of the fielder who stands a little way behind and to the offside of the wicketkeeper
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the fielder himself
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the relative movement of rocks along a fault plane
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a landslide, esp one blocking a road or railway line
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metallurgy crystallog the deformation of a metallic crystal caused when one part glides over another part along a plane
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the deviation of a propeller from its helical path through a fluid, expressed as the difference between its actual forward motion and its theoretical forward motion in one revolution
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another name for sideslip
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to elude or escape from someone
noun
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a narrow piece; strip
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a small piece of paper
a receipt slip
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a part of a plant that, when detached from the parent, will grow into a new plant; cutting; scion
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a young slender person
a slip of a child
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dialect a young pig
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printing
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a long galley
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a less common name for a galley proof
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a pew or similar long narrow seat
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a small piece of abrasive material of tapering section used in honing
verb
noun
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of slip1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English verb slippen, from Middle Dutch slippen; cognate with Old High German slipfen; late Middle English noun slippe, derivative of or akin to the verb; compare Old High German slipf “a sliding, slipping, error”; akin to slipper 2
Origin of slip2
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English slip(pe) “edge of a garment,” from Middle Dutch, Middle Low German slippe “flap (of a piece of clothing)”
Origin of slip3
First recorded before 1000; Middle English slyppe, Old English slype “semiliquid mass”; cf. slop 1, cowslip, oxlip
Explanation
When you slip, you slide or skid unintentionally. A slip is also a kind of underwear you wear under a skirt. A Freudian slip, on the other hand, is a slip of the tongue. You can slip on a damp or icy surface, and you can also slip by making a mistake or getting worse, as in "If the company doesn't sell more candy, their profits will slip." It also means "move in a sneaky or quiet way," so you might slip out of a birthday party before cake is served. As a noun, a slip can be a mistake, a fall, a piece of something (especially paper), or a skirt-like type of underwear.
Vocabulary lists containing slip
Visual Arts - Introductory
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Visual Arts - High School
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Visual Arts - Middle School
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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.
See Examples For:
Sanchez, who has been Chelsea's first-choice goalkeeper since 2023, allowed Josh King's shot to slip through his grasp at the near post.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
At Cava, sales started to slip around the end of its quarter ended July 12 because of recent cyclospora outbreaks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Watson almost let a double-break lead slip in the final set but held firm to set up a meeting with Spain's Angela Fita Boluda.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
His mother refused to sign a permission slip for him to play football.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
When I reach for the book, however, a little slip of paper comes fluttering out.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
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Gold slipped below $4,500 a troy ounce as higher rate expectations hurt the attractiveness of the non-yielding asset.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
U.S. stocks slipped, with the Nasdaq leading losses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
She managed to grab hold of her daughter's foot, but her shoes were coated in engine oil from the overturned vessel and she slipped through her hands.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
First, the 31-year-old fired home a blistering equaliser after Marcelino Nunez slipped under no pressure, presenting Matheus Cunha with a clear run at the Ipswich goal, which allowed him to set up his captain.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
My mother slipped out from behind the facade of Commander Fitz for a second to shoot me a disapproving glance, and I immediately unfolded them and placed them on the chair’s armrests.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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Micron stock was slipping as unions push for a greater share of the memory-chip company's profits.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
"I love this character so much...it's like slipping into a warm bath, or putting on an old pair of shoes," he said.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
He told NPR that returning to play Optimus Prime in these films was “like slipping into an old pair of shoes that you hid in the back of your closet.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
In Germany, the DAX was 0.2% lower, weighed down by Siemens Energy falling 1.4% and Volkswagen slipping 1.4%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
He was pulling so hard that at first he didn’t notice that Marco was slipping into the sea.
From "I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912" by Lauren Tarshis
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He's gone, my pretty ...! slipt through my fingers like a bird! upfled to his own native skies, and yet whenas I think on him, I can not choose but weepe....
From Harper's New Monthly Magazine, vol 1-98, 1850-1899 None by Various (magazine) Harper
So I quickly arose And slipt into my clothes, To fulfil this said spectre's command.
From The Anglican Friar and the Fish which he Took by Hook and by Crook by A. Novice
Khalaf, however, quietly slipt out of the tent, leaving his father and mother there, and went through the horde, asking charity of the passers-by.
From The Thousand and One Days A Companion to the 'Arabian Nights' by Julia Pardoe
Bertha having slipt out of the room, Marie escaped the tender grasp of Dieterick's hand, and profited by this opportunity to turn the subject of the conversation.
From The Banished A Swabian Historical Tale. In Three Volumes. by Wilhelm Hauff
The wind slipt over the hill And down the valley.
From Song-Surf by Cale Young Rice
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.