/ dɪp; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb ( -pp- )
1.
[ vn ] dip sth (into sth) | dip sth (in) to put sth quickly into a liquid and take it out again :
He dipped the brush into the paint.
Dip your hand in to see how hot the water is.
The fruit had been dipped in chocolate.
2.
[usually + adv. / prep. ] to go downwards or to a lower level; to make sth do this
SYN fall :
[ v ]
The sun dipped below the horizon.
Sales for this quarter have dipped from 38.7 million to 33 million.
The road dipped suddenly as we approached the town.
[ vn ]
The plane dipped its wings.
3.
[ vn ] ( BrE ) if you dip your headlights when driving a car at night, you make the light from them point down so that other drivers do not have the light in their eyes
4.
[ vn ] when farmers dip animals, especially sheep, they put them in a bath of a liquid containing chemicals in order to kill insects, etc.
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IDIOMS
- dip into your pocket
- dip a toe in / into sth | dip a toe in / into the water
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PHRASAL VERBS
- dip into sth
■ noun
1.
[ C ] ( informal ) a quick swim :
Let's go for a dip before breakfast.
2.
[ C ] a decrease in the amount or success of sth, usually for only a short period
SYN fall :
a sharp dip in profits
3.
[ C ] a place where a surface suddenly drops to a lower level and then rises again :
a dip in the road
Puddles had formed in the dips.
4.
[ C , U ] a thick mixture into which pieces of food are dipped before being eaten
5.
[ U , C ] a liquid containing a chemical into which sheep and other animals can be dipped in order to kill insects on them
6.
[ sing. ] dip into sth a quick look at sth :
A brief dip into history serves to confirm this view.
7.
[ C , usually sing. ] a quick movement of sth down and up :
He gave a dip of his head.
—see also lucky dip
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English dyppan , of Germanic origin; related to deep .