Dip, 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.

Idiom

dip-switch a switch for dipping a vehicle's headlight beams.

Etymology

OE dyppan f. Gmc: rel. to DEEP

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THESAURUS

Dip

acid bath, alveolation, alveolus, antrum, apply paint, armpit, ascend, asperge, attrition, bail, bank, baptism, baptize, basin, bath, bayberry candle, beat the drum, bedaub, bedizen, begild, besmear, bougie, bowl, brush on paint, bucket, burial, bury, calcimine, candle, cannon, cant, careen, cavity, christen, climb, coat, color, complexion, concave, concavity, corpse candle, cover, crab, crater, crypt, cup, curtailment, cut, cutpurse, cutting, dab, daub, decant, decline, declivity, decrease, decrement, deep-dye, deluge, depletion, depreciation, depression, derogation, descend, descent, detraction, diminution, dipping, dish, dish out, dish up, disparagement, distemper, diver, double-dye, douse, dousing, downgate, downgrade, downhill, downslide, downswing, downtrend, downturn, draw, drop, drown, duck, ducking, dunk, dunking, dye, emblazon, enamel, engild, engulf, engulfment, exchange colors, extraction, face, fall, fall away, fall off, falling-off, falloff, farthing dip, fast-dye, feather, fingersmith, fishtail, fixing bath, flag, flag down, flash, float, flood, flow on, fold, follicle, fork, fresco, funnel chest, gild, give a signal, give the nod, glance, glaze, gloss, go down, go downhill, go uphill, grade, grain, hail, hail and speak, half-mast, hang, hanging, hock, hoist a banner, hole, hollow, hollow shell, hue, illuminate, imbue, immerge, immergence, immerse, immersion, impairment, impignorate, incline, ingrain, inundate, inundation, japan, keel, kick, lacquer, lacuna, lade, ladle, lay on color, lean, leer, lessening, light-fingered gentry, list, loop, make a sign, mercury bath, merge, mobsman, mortgage, nod, nose-dive, nudge, overwhelm, paint, parget, pickpocket, pigment, pit, pitch, pledge, plow, plunge, plunge in water, pocket, poke, pop, porpoise, pour, pour on, prime, pull out, pull up, punch bowl, push down, rain, raise a cry, rake, reduction, remission, retraction, retreat, retrenchment, rise, roll, rush candle, rushlight, sag, salute, scoop, set, shade, shadow, sheep dip, sheer, shell, shellac, shelve, shortening, shovel, shrinkage, sideslip, sidle, sign, signal, signalize, sink, sinkage, sinkhole, sinking, sinus, skew, skid, slant, slip, slop on paint, slope, slue, sluice, slump, smear, socket, sound an alarm, sound the trumpet, souse, sousing, spade, speak, spin, spiral, spoon, spout, sprinkle, stain, stipple, stoop, stunt, submerge, submergence, submerse, submersion, swag, swamp, sway, swell-mobsman, tallow candle, tallow dip, taper, tilt, tinct, tincture, tinge, tint, tip, tone, touch, trough, truncation, tumble, undercoat, undulate, unfurl a flag, uprise, varnish, veer, votary candle, vug, wash, wave, wave a flag, wave the hand, wax candle, whelm, whitewash, wink, wire, yaw

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ROGET THESAURUS

Dip

Rite

VB perform service, do duty, minister, officiate, baptize, dip, sprinkle, anoint, confirm, lay hands on, give the sacrament, administer the sacrament, administer extreme unction, hear confession, administer holy penance, shrive, excommunicate, ban with bell book and candle, attend services, attend mass, go to mass, hear mass, take the sacrament, receive the sacrament, receive communion, attend the sacrament, partake of the sacrament, partake of communion, communicate, receive extreme unction, confess, go to confession, receive penance, anele, preach, sermonize, predicate, lecture.

Obliquity

N obliquity, inclination, slope, slant, crookedness, slopeness, leaning, bevel, tilt, bias, list, twist, swag, cant, lurch, distortion, bend, tower of Pisa, acclivity, rise, ascent, gradient, khudd, rising ground, hill, bank, declivity, downhill, dip, fall, devexity, gentle slope, rapid slope, easy ascent, easy descent, shelving beach, talus, monagne Russe, facilis descensus averni.

Concavity

N concavity, depression, dip, hollow, hollowness, indentation, intaglio, cavity, dent, dint, dimple, follicle, pit, sinus, alveolus, lacuna, excavation, strip mine, trough, honeycomb, cup, basin, crater, punch bowl, cell, socket, valley, vale, dale, dell, dingle, combe, bottom, slade, strath, glade, grove, glen, cave, cavern, cove, grot, grotto, alcove, cul-de- sac, gully, arch, bay, excavator, sapper, miner, honeycomb (sponge), depressed, alveolate, calathiform, cup-shaped, dishing, favaginous, faveolate, favose, scyphiform, scyphose, concave, hollow, stove in, retiring, retreating, cavernous, porous, infundibul, infundibular, infundibuliform, funnel shaped, bell shaped, campaniform, capsular, vaulted, arched.

Direction

N direction, management, managery, government, gubernation, conduct, legislation, regulation, guidance, bossism, legislature, steerage, pilotage, reins, reins of government, helm, rudder, needle, compass, guiding star, load star, lode star, pole star, cynosure, supervision, superintendence, surveillance, oversight, eye of the master, control, charge, board of control, command, premiership, senatorship, director, chair, portfolio, statesmanship, statecraft, kingcraft, queencraft, ministry, ministration, administration, stewardship, proctorship, agency, director, directing, hegemonic, at the helm, at the head of, direction, bearing, course, vector, set, drift, tenor, tendency, incidence, bending, trending, dip, tack, aim, collimation, steering steerage, point of the compass, cardinal points, North East, South, West, N by E, ENE, NE by N, NE, rhumb, azimuth, line of collimation, line, path, road, range, quarter, line of march, alignment, allignment, air line, beeline, straight shoot, directed, directed towards, pointing towards, bound for, aligned, with alligned with, direct, straight, undeviating, unswerving, straightforward, North, Northern, Northerly, towards, on the road, on the high road to, en avant, versus, to, hither, thither, whither, directly, straight as an arrow, forwards as an arrow, point blank, in a bee line to, in a direct line to, as the crow flies, in a straight line to, in a bee line for, in a direct line for, in a straight line for, in a bee line with, in a direct line with, in a straight line with, in a line with, full tilt at, as the crow flies, before the wind, near the wind, close to the wind, against the wind, windwards, in the wind's eye, through, via, by way of, in all directions, in all manner of ways, quaquaversum, from the four winds, the shortest distance between two points is a stra.

VB direct, manage, govern, conduct, order, prescribe, cut out work for, bead, lead, lead the way, show the way, take the lead, lead on, regulate, guide, steer, pilot, tackle, take the helm, be at the helm, have the reins, handle the reins, hold the reins, take the reins, drive, tool, superintend, supervise, overlook, control, keep in order, look after, see to, legislate for, administer, ministrate, matronize, have the care of, have the charge of, be in charge of, have charge of, take the direction, boss, boss one around, pull the strings, pull the wires, rule, have the direction, hold office, hold the portfolio, preside, preside at the board, take the chair, occupy the chair, be in the chair, pull the stroke oar, tend towards, bend towards, point towards, conduct to, go to, point to, point at, bend, trend, verge, incline, dip, determine, steer for, steer towards, make for, make towards, aim at, level at, take aim, keep a course, hold a course, be bound for, bend one's steps towards, direct one's course, steer one's course, bend one's course, shape one's course, align one's march, allign one's march, to straight, go straight to the point, march on, march on a point, ascertain one's direction, s'orienter, see which way the wind blows, box the compass, take the air line.

Insertion

N insertion, implantation, introduction, insinuation, planting injection, inoculation, importation, infusion, forcible ingress, immersion, submersion, submergence, dip, plunge, bath, interment, clyster, enema, glyster, lavage, lavement, inserted.

VB insert, introduce, intromit, put into, run into, import, inject, interject, infuse, instill, inoculate, impregnate, imbue, imbrue, graft, ingraft, bud, plant, implant, dovetail, obtrude, thrust in, stick in, ram in, stuff in, tuck in, press, in, drive in, pop in, whip in, drop in, put in, impact, empierce, imbed, immerse, immerge, merge, bathe, soak, dip, plunge, bury, insert itself, lodge itself, plunge in medias res.

Descent

N descent, descension, declension, declination, fall, falling, slump, drop, plunge, plummet, cadence, subsidence, collapse, lapse, downfall, tumble, slip, tilt, trip, lurch, cropper, culbute, titubation, stumble, fate of Icarus, avalanche, debacle, landslip, landslide, declivity, dip, hill, rappel, descending, descendent, decurrent, decursive, labent, deciduous, nodding to its fall, downhill, downwards, the bottom fell out.

Depression

N depression, lowering, depression, dip, abasement, detrusion, reduction, overthrow, overset, overturn, upset, prostration, subversion, precipitation, bow, courtesy, curtsy, genuflexion, genuflection, kowtow, obeisance, salaam, depressed, at a low ebb, prostrate, detrusive, facinus quos inquinat aequat.

VB depress, lower, let down, take down, let down a peg, take down a peg, cast, let drop, let fall, sink, debase, bring low, abase, reduce, detrude, pitch, precipitate, overthrow, overturn, overset, upset, subvert, prostate, level, fell, cast down, take down, throw down, fling down, dash down, pull down, cut down, knock down, hew down, raze, raze to the ground, rase to the ground, trample in the dust, pull about one's ears, sit, sit down, couch, squat, crouch, stoop, bend, bow, courtesy, curtsy, bob, duck, dip, kneel, bend the knee, bow the knee, bend the head, bow the head, cower, recline.

Plunge

N plunge, dip, dive, header, ducking, diver.

VB plunge, dip, souse, duck, dive, plump, take a plunge, take a header, make a plunge, bathe, submerge, submerse, immerse, douse, sink, engulf, send to the bottom, get out of one's depth, go to the bottom, go down like a stone, drop like a lead balloon, founder, welter, wallow.

Water

VB be watery, reek, add water, water, wet, moisten, dilute, dip, immerse, merge, immerge, submerge, plunge, souse, duck, drown, soak, steep, macerate, pickle, wash, sprinkle, lave, bathe, affuse, splash, swash, douse, drench, dabble, slop, slobber, irrigate, inundate, deluge, syringe, inject, gargle.

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