dip

  • verb (dipped, dipping) 1 (dip in/into) put or lower briefly in or into. 2 sink, drop, or slope downwards. 3 (of a level or amount) temporarily become lower or smaller. 4 lower or move downwards. 5 Brit. lower the beam of (a vehicle’s headlights). 6 (dip into) put a hand or implement into (a bag or container) to take something out. 7 (dip into) spend from (one’s financial resources). 8 (dip out) Austral./NZ informal fail.

  • noun 1 an act of dipping. 2 a thick sauce in which pieces of food are dipped before eating. 3 a brief swim. 4 a brief downward slope followed by an upward one.

  — ORIGIN Old English, related to DEEP.

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