dɪp v. & n. --v. (dipped, dipping) 1 tr. put or let down briefly
into liquid etc.;
immerse. 2 intr. a go
below a
surface or
level (the
sun dipped below
the horizon). b (of a level of
income,
activity, etc.)
decline slightly,
esp. briefly (profits dipped in May). 3 intr.
extend downwards;
take or
have a
downward slope (the road dips
after the bend). 4 intr. go
under water and emerge quickly. 5 intr. (foll. by into) a
read briefly
from (a
book etc.). b take a
cursory interest in (a subject). 6 (foll. by into) a intr. put a
hand,
ladle, etc., into a
container to take
something out. b tr. put (a hand etc.) into a container to do
this. c intr.
spend from or
make use of one's resources (dipped into
our savings). 7 tr. & intr. lower or be lowered, esp. in
salute. 8 tr.
Brit. lower the
beam of (a vehicle's headlights) to
reduce dazzle. 9 tr.
colour (a fabric) by immersing it in
dye. 10 tr.
wash (sheep) by
immersion in a vermin-killing liquid. 11 tr. make (a candle) by immersing a wick briefly in
hot tallow. 12 tr.
baptize by immersion. 13 tr. (often foll. by
up, out of)
remove or
scoop up (liquid,
grain, etc., or something from liquid). --n. 1 an
act of dipping or
being dipped. 2 a liquid into
which something is dipped. 3 a
brief bathe in the
sea,
river, etc. 4 a brief downward slope, followed by an
upward one, in a road etc. 5 a
sauce or
dressing into which
food is dipped
before eating. 6 a
depression in the
skyline. 7 Astron. & Surveying the
apparent depression of the
horizon from the line of
observation,
due to the
curvature of the
earth. 8
Physics the
angle made with the
horizontal at
any point by the earth's
magnetic field. 9 Geol. the angle a
stratum makes with the horizon. 10 sl. a
pickpocket. 11 a
quantity dipped up. 12 a
candle made by dipping. ødip-switch a
switch for dipping a vehicle's
headlight beams. [OE dyppan f. Gmc: rel. to DEEP]