slip

[ slip ]

/ slɪp /

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See synonyms for: slip / slipped / slipping / slips on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), slipped or (Archaic) slipt

[slipt]; /slɪpt/; slipped; slip·ping.

to move, flow, pass, or go smoothly or easily; glide; slide: Water slips off a smooth surface.

to slide suddenly or involuntarily; to lose one's foothold, as on a smooth surface: She slipped on the icy ground.

to move, slide, or start gradually from a place or position: His hat had slipped over his eyes.

to slide out of or become disengaged from a fastening, the grasp, etc.: The soap slipped from my hand.

to pass without having been acted upon or used; be lost; get away: to let an opportunity slip.

to pass from the mind, memory, or consciousness.

to elapse or pass quickly or imperceptibly (often followed by away or by): The years slipped by.

to become involved or absorbed easily: to slip into a new way of life.

to move or go quietly, cautiously, or unobtrusively: to slip out of a room.

to put on or take off a garment easily or quickly: She slipped on the new sweater. He slipped off his shoes.

to make a mistake or error: As far as I know, you haven't slipped once.

to fall below a standard or accustomed level, or to decrease in quantity or quality; decline; deteriorate: His work slipped last year.

to be said or revealed inadvertently (usually followed by out): The words just slipped out.

to read, study, consider, etc., without attention: He slipped over the most important part.

Aeronautics. (of an aircraft when excessively banked) to slide sideways, toward the center of the curve described in turning.Compare skid (def. 15).

verb (used with object), slipped or (Archaic) slipt

[slipt]; /slɪpt/; slipped; slip·ping.

to cause to move, pass, go, etc., with a smooth, easy, or sliding motion.

to put, place, pass, insert, or withdraw quickly or stealthily: to slip a letter into a person's hand.

to put on or take off (a garment) easily or quickly: He slipped the shirt over his head.

to let or make (something) slide out of a fastening, the hold, etc.: I slipped the lock, and the door creaked open.

to release from a leash, harness, etc., as a hound or a hawk.

to get away or free oneself from; escape (a pursuer, restraint, leash, etc.): The cow slipped its halter.

to untie or undo (a knot).

Nautical. to let go entirely, as an anchor cable or an anchor.

to pass from or escape (one's memory, attention, knowledge, etc.).

to dislocate; put out of joint or position: I slipped a disk in my back.

to shed or cast: The rattlesnake slipped its skin.

to ignore, pass over, or omit, as in speaking or writing.

to let pass unheeded; neglect or miss.

Boxing. to evade or avoid (a blow) by moving or turning the body quickly: He slipped a right and countered with a hard left.

(of animals) to bring forth (offspring) prematurely.

British. to detach (a railway car) from a moving train as it passes through a station.

noun

an act or instance of slipping.

a sudden losing of one's foothold, as on slippery ground.

a mistake in judgment; blunder.

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.

an error in conduct; indiscretion.

something easily slipped on or off.

a decline or fall in quantity, quality, extent, etc., or from a standard or accustomed level: a slip in prices.

Clothing.

a woman's undergarment, sleeveless and usually having shoulder straps, extending from above the bust down to the hemline of the outer dress.
an underskirt, as a half-slip or petticoat.

a pillowcase.

an inclined plane, sloping to the water, on which vessels are built or repaired.

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.

a space between two wharves or in a dock for vessels to lie in.

Electricity. the difference between the synchronous and the operating speeds of a motor.

Machinery.

the difference between output speed and input or theoretical speed in certain fluid or electromagnetic devices, as couplings or motors.
(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.

unintended movement or play between mechanical parts or the like.

Cricket.

the position of a fielder who stands behind and to the offside of the wicketkeeper.
the fielder playing this position.

Geology.

the relative displacement of formerly adjacent points on opposite sides of a fault, measured along the fault plane.
a small fault.

Also called glide .Metallurgy. plastic deformation of one part of a metallic crystal relative to the other part due to shearing action.

Verb Phrases

slip away,

to depart quietly or unobtrusively; steal off.
to recede; slowly vanish: All those facts I had memorized just slipped away.

slip up, to make an error; fail: I slipped up and put the letter in the wrong envelope.

OTHER WORDS FOR slip

1, 2 slither.

11 err, blunder.

35 error, fault.

See synonyms for slip on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about slip

give someone the slip, to elude a pursuer; escape: The murderer gave the police the slip.

let slip, to reveal unintentionally: to let slip the truth.

slip a cog. cog¹ (def. 6).

slip between the cracks. crack (def. 53).

slip someone's mind, to be forgotten: I was supposed to phone, but it slipped my mind.

slip something over on, to deceive; defraud; trick.Also slip one over on.

Origin of slip

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 slipper²

synonym study for slip

1, 2. See slide. 35. See mistake.

OTHER WORDS FROM slip

slipless, adjectiveslip·ping·ly, adverb

Other definitions for slip (2 of 4)

slip²

[ slip ]

/ slɪp /

noun

a small paper form on which information is noted: a withdrawal slip.

a piece suitable for propagation cut from a plant; scion or cutting.

any long, narrow piece or strip, as of wood, paper, or land.

a young person, especially one of slender form: a mere slip of a girl.

a long seat or narrow pew in a church.

Bookbinding. one of the ends of a band, extending at the sides of a book after sewing.

verb (used with object), slipped, slip·ping.

to take slips or cuttings from (a plant).

to take (a part), as a slip from a plant.

Origin of slip

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)”

Other definitions for slip (3 of 4)

slip³

[ slip ]

/ slɪp /

noun

Ceramics. a clay solution of creamy consistency for coating or decorating biscuit.

a glass-bearing liquid fired onto steel as a cladding, as in making enamelware.

Origin of slip

First recorded before 1000; Middle English slyppe, Old English slype “semiliquid mass”; cf. slop¹, cowslip, oxlip

Other definitions for slip (4 of 4)

slip⁴

[ slip ]

/ slɪp /

noun Architecture.

a variant of slype.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use slip in a sentence

At 24, I slipped on the ice outside of my Michigan apartment.
You’re Never ‘Cured’ of an Eating Disorder|Carrie Arnold|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Someone slipped me something while I was making Pound, and I had two choices—go to the hospital, or keep working.
The Renegade: Robert Downey Sr. on His Classic Films, Son’s Battle with Drugs, and Bill Cosby|Marlow Stern|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He pulled one out and slipped it over my head, zipping the mouth closed to muffle my voice.
Whip It: Secrets of a Dominatrix|Justin Jones|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
De Merode slipped from his seat and dove toward the roadside and into the forest.
A Belgian Prince, Gorillas, Guerrillas & the Future of the Congo|Nina Strochlic|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Last weekend a family slipped out at four in the morning, packing their bags and leaving out the side door without a word.
Would You Stay in Lizzie Borden’s Ax-Murder House?|Nina Strochlic|October 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She was holding the back of her chair with one hand; her loose sleeve had slipped almost to the shoulder of her uplifted arm.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
The left heel followed like lightning, and the right paw also slipped, letting the bear again fall heavily on the ice below.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
I made two attempts to climb up, but both times slipped back.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
Ten or twelve added years had slipped by, and it did not seem human that she should continue to feel bitterly toward me.
The Boarded-Up House|Augusta Huiell Seaman
A few minutes, and he would perhaps have slipped across the border—when something startled him into sudden life again.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood

British Dictionary definitions for slip (1 of 3)

slip¹

/ (slɪp) /

verb slips, slipping or slipped

to move or cause to move smoothly and easily

(tr) to place, insert, or convey quickly or stealthily

(tr) to put on or take off easily or quicklyto slip on a sweater

(intr) to lose balance and slide unexpectedlyhe slipped on the ice

to let loose or be let loose

to be released from (something); escape

(tr) to let go (mooring or anchor lines) over the side

(when intr, often foll by from or out of) to pass out of (the mind or memory)

(tr) to overlook, neglect, or missto slip an opportunity

(intr) to move or pass swiftly or unperceivedto slip quietly out of the room

(intr sometimes foll by up) to make a mistake

Also: sideslip to cause (an aircraft) to slide sideways or (of an aircraft) to slide sideways

(intr) to decline in health, mental ability, etc

(intr) (of an intervertebral disc) to become displaced from the normal position

(tr) to dislocate (a bone)

(of animals) to give birth to (offspring) prematurely

(tr) to pass (a stitch) from one needle to another without knitting it

(tr) to operate (the clutch of a motor vehicle) so that it partially disengages
(intr) (of the clutch of a motor vehicle) to fail to engage, esp as a result of wear

let slip

to allow to escape
to say unintentionally

slip one over on slang to hoodwink or trick

noun

the act or an instance of slipping

a mistake or oversighta slip of the pen

a moral lapse or failing

a woman's sleeveless undergarment, worn as a lining for and to give support to a dress

US and Canadian a narrow space between two piers in which vessels may dock

See slipway

a kind of dog lead that allows for the quick release of the dog

a small block of hard steel of known thickness used for measurement, usually forming one of a set

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

cricket

the position of the fielder who stands a little way behind and to the offside of the wicketkeeper
the fielder himself

the relative movement of rocks along a fault plane

a landslide, esp one blocking a road or railway line

metallurgy crystallog the deformation of a metallic crystal caused when one part glides over another part along a plane

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

another name for sideslip (def. 1)

give someone the slip to elude or escape from someone

Derived forms of slip

slipless, adjective

Word Origin for slip

C13: from Middle Low German or Dutch slippen

British Dictionary definitions for slip (2 of 3)

slip²

/ (slɪp) /

noun

a narrow piece; strip

a small piece of papera receipt slip

a part of a plant that, when detached from the parent, will grow into a new plant; cutting; scion

a young slender persona slip of a child

dialect a young pig

printing

a long galley
a less common name for a galley proof

mainly US a pew or similar long narrow seat

a small piece of abrasive material of tapering section used in honing

verb slips, slipping or slipped

(tr) to detach (portions of stem, etc) from (a plant) for propagation

Word Origin for slip

C15: probably from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch slippe to cut, strip

British Dictionary definitions for slip (3 of 3)

slip³

/ (slɪp) /

noun

clay mixed with water to a creamy consistency, used for decorating or patching a ceramic piece

Word Origin for slip

Old English slyppe slime; related to Norwegian slipa slime on fish; see slop 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with slip

slip

In addition to the idioms beginning with slip

slip a cog
slip of the lip
slip one's mind
slip out
slip something over on
slip through one's fingers
slip up

also see:

give the slip
let slip

slip

OTHER WORDS FOR slip

Idioms about slip

Origin of slip

synonym study for slip

OTHER WORDS FROM slip

Other definitions for slip (2 of 4)

Origin of slip

Other definitions for slip (3 of 4)

Origin of slip

Other definitions for slip (4 of 4)

Words related to slip

How to use slip in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for slip (1 of 3)

Derived forms of slip

Word Origin for slip

British Dictionary definitions for slip (2 of 3)

Word Origin for slip

British Dictionary definitions for slip (3 of 3)

Word Origin for slip

Other Idioms and Phrases with slip