DIP (dipped, dipping)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does dip mean? 

• DIP (noun)
  The noun DIP has 9 senses:

1. a depression in an otherwise level surface

2. (physics) the angle that a magnetic needle makes with the plane of the horizon

3. a thief who steals from the pockets or purses of others in public places

4. tasty mixture or liquid into which bite-sized foods are dipped

5. a brief immersion

6. a sudden sharp decrease in some quantity

7. a candle that is made by repeated dipping in a pool of wax or tallow

8. a brief swim in water

9. a gymnastic exercise on the parallel bars in which the body is lowered and raised by bending and straightening the arms

  Familiarity information: DIP used as a noun is familiar.

• DIP (verb)
  The verb DIP has 14 senses:

1. immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate

2. dip into a liquid while eating

3. go down momentarily

4. stain an object by immersing it in a liquid

5. take a small amount from

6. switch (a car's headlights) from a higher to a lower beam

7. lower briefly

8. appear to move downward

9. slope downwards

10. dip into a liquid

11. place (candle wicks) into hot, liquid wax

12. immerse in a disinfectant solution

13. plunge (one's hand or a receptacle) into a container

14. scoop up by plunging one's hand or a ladle below the surface

  Familiarity information: DIP used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DIP (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A depression in an otherwise level surface

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Context example:

there was a dip in the road

Hypernyms ("dip" is a kind of...):

depression; impression; imprint (a concavity in a surface produced by pressing)

Derivation:

dip (go down momentarily)

dip (slope downwards)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(physics) the angle that a magnetic needle makes with the plane of the horizon

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Synonyms:

angle of dip; dip; inclination; magnetic dip; magnetic inclination

Hypernyms ("dip" is a kind of...):

angle (the space between two lines or planes that intersect; the inclination of one line to another; measured in degrees or radians)

Domain category:

natural philosophy; physics (the science of matter and energy and their interactions)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A thief who steals from the pockets or purses of others in public places

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

cutpurse; dip; pickpocket

Hypernyms ("dip" is a kind of...):

stealer; thief (a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Tasty mixture or liquid into which bite-sized foods are dipped

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Hypernyms ("dip" is a kind of...):

condiment (a preparation (a sauce or relish or spice) to enhance flavor or enjoyment)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "dip"):

bean dip (a dip made of cooked beans)

cheese dip (a dip made of cheeses)

clam dip (a dip made of clams and soft cream cheese)

guacamole (a dip made of mashed avocado mixed with chopped onions and other seasonings)

Derivation:

dip (dip into a liquid while eating)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A brief immersion

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("dip" is a kind of...):

immersion; submergence; submerging; submersion (sinking until covered completely with water)

Derivation:

dip (stain an object by immersing it in a liquid)

dip (dip into a liquid while eating)

dip (immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate)

dip (immerse in a disinfectant solution)

Sense 6

Meaning:

A sudden sharp decrease in some quantity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

dip; drop; fall; free fall

Context example:

when that became known the price of their stock went into free fall

Hypernyms ("dip" is a kind of...):

decrease; decrement (the amount by which something decreases)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "dip"):

correction (a drop in stock market activity or stock prices following a period of increases)

voltage drop (a decrease in voltage along a conductor through which current is flowing)

Sense 7

Meaning:

A candle that is made by repeated dipping in a pool of wax or tallow

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("dip" is a kind of...):

candle; taper; wax light (stick of wax with a wick in the middle)

Derivation:

dip (place (candle wicks) into hot, liquid wax)

Sense 8

Meaning:

A brief swim in water

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

dip; plunge

Hypernyms ("dip" is a kind of...):

swim; swimming (the act of swimming)

Derivation:

dip (dip into a liquid)

Sense 9

Meaning:

A gymnastic exercise on the parallel bars in which the body is lowered and raised by bending and straightening the arms

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("dip" is a kind of...):

gymnastic exercise ((gymnastics) an exercise designed to develop and display strength and agility and balance (usually performed with or on some gymnastic apparatus))

• DIP (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

dip; douse; dunk; plunge; souse

Context example:

dip the brush into the paint

Hypernyms (to "dip" is one way to...):

immerse; plunge (thrust or throw into)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "dip"):

sop (dip into liquid)

dip; douse; duck (dip into a liquid)

dabble (dip a foot or hand briefly into a liquid)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

dip (a brief immersion)

dipper (a ladle that has a cup with a long handle)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Dip into a liquid while eating

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Synonyms:

dip; dunk

Context example:

She dunked the piece of bread in the sauce

Hypernyms (to "dip" is one way to...):

immerse; plunge (thrust or throw into)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

dip (a brief immersion)

dip (tasty mixture or liquid into which bite-sized foods are dipped)

dipper (a ladle that has a cup with a long handle)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Go down momentarily

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

Prices dipped

Hypernyms (to "dip" is one way to...):

decline; go down; wane (grow smaller)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sentence example:

The stock market is going to dip

Derivation:

dip (a depression in an otherwise level surface)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Stain an object by immersing it in a liquid

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "dip" is one way to...):

stain (color with a liquid dye or tint)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

dip (a brief immersion)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Take a small amount from

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Context example:

I had to dip into my savings to buy him this present

Hypernyms (to "dip" is one way to...):

draw; draw off; take out; withdraw (remove (a commodity) from (a supply source))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 6

Meaning:

Switch (a car's headlights) from a higher to a lower beam

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

dim; dip

Hypernyms (to "dip" is one way to...):

change intensity (increase or decrease in intensity)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 7

Meaning:

Lower briefly

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

She dipped her knee

Hypernyms (to "dip" is one way to...):

bring down; get down; let down; lower; take down (move something or somebody to a lower position)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 8

Meaning:

Appear to move downward

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

dip; sink

Context example:

The setting sun sank below the tree line

Hypernyms (to "dip" is one way to...):

decline (go down)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "dip"):

subside (sink to a lower level or form a depression)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Sentence example:

The moon will soon dip

Sense 9

Meaning:

Slope downwards

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

Our property dips towards the river

Hypernyms (to "dip" is one way to...):

incline; pitch; slope (be at an angle)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

dip (a depression in an otherwise level surface)

Sense 10

Meaning:

Dip into a liquid

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

dip; douse; duck

Context example:

He dipped into the pool

Hypernyms (to "dip" is one way to...):

dip; douse; dunk; plunge; souse (immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

dip (a brief swim in water)

Sense 11

Meaning:

Place (candle wicks) into hot, liquid wax

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "dip" is one way to...):

create from raw material; create from raw stuff (make from scratch)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

dip (a candle that is made by repeated dipping in a pool of wax or tallow)

Sense 12

Meaning:

Immerse in a disinfectant solution

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

dip the sheep

Hypernyms (to "dip" is one way to...):

immerse; plunge (thrust or throw into)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

dip (a brief immersion)

Sense 13

Meaning:

Plunge (one's hand or a receptacle) into a container

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

He dipped into his pocket

Hypernyms (to "dip" is one way to...):

immerse; plunge (thrust or throw into)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 14

Meaning:

Scoop up by plunging one's hand or a ladle below the surface

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

dip water out of a container

Hypernyms (to "dip" is one way to...):

lift out; scoop; scoop out; scoop up; take up (take out or up with or as if with a scoop)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

All Pisces will benefit from the December 25 eclipse at four-degrees Capricorn, but if your birthday falls on February 23, plus four days or minus three days, you will receive a double-dip of pleasure.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

When charging was done more quickly, the capacity didn't dip as significantly as it often does with other electrodes.

(Creating Better Lithium-Ion Batteries Made Possible with New Discovery, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Vertical tori are 3D-printed upright and are dipped in nickel and platinum.

(Tiny swimming 'doughnuts' deliver the biomedical goods, National Science Foundation)

In addition to this dip in light, Hubble provided supporting evidence for the moon hypothesis by finding the planet transit occurring more than an hour earlier than predicted.

(Astronomers Find First Evidence of Possible Moon Outside Our Solar System, NASA)

Transiting planets block a tiny fraction of starlight that produces miniscule dips in the brightness of their host star.

(Light From An Ultra-Cool Neighbor, NASA)

A mile or so out upon the moor the road takes a very sudden dip into a hollow, with a peat-colored stream running swiftly down the centre of it.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Friar’s Oak is in a dip of the Downs, and the forty-third milestone between London and Brighton lies on the skirt of the village.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Gennaro saw our enemy’s cruel face smiling at him as he dipped his hand in the bag.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The device or component failed due to fluctuations within the power supply (e.g. transient power, power spike, power dip, or power sequencing).

(Device Power Fluctuation Evaluation Result, Food and Drug Administration)

When an object transits, or passes in front of a star from the vantage point of the space telescope, a dip in starlight is recorded.

(K2 Finds Dead Star Vaporizing a Mini 'Planet', NASA)