verb
dip
dihp
verb
1
To lower something briefly into a liquid.
"She dipped the brush into the paint."
"He dipped a biscuit into his tea before eating it."
2
To drop slightly in level, value, or amount.
"Temperatures dip below freezing overnight."
"The company's share price dipped after the announcement."
noun
1
A thick sauce for dunking food such as chips or vegetables.
"They served guacamole as a dip with the tortilla chips."
2
A brief swim.
"We went for a quick dip in the lake before lunch."
3
A slight downward slope or drop in a surface.
"The road has a sudden dip just past the bridge."
How to Use Dip
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo lower briefly into liquid, to drop slightly, or (as a noun) a sauce, a quick swim, or a small downward slope.
Common mistake
"Dip into" savings/funds means to use a small part of them, not to fully spend them.
Common pairings
dip in prices
take a dip
dip into savings
chips and dip
Word Forms
dipped past tense, dips plural, dips plural, dips plural, dips singular
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Temperatures _____ below freezing overnight.
Etymology
From Old English dyppan, related to the word "deep."