I. ˈsip verb
( sipped ; sipped ; sipping ; sips )
Etymology: Middle English sippen; akin to Low German sippen to sip
intransitive verb
: to drink a small quantity especially repeatedly with the lips : take a sip of something
sipped delicately at the bottle like effete bees — John Steinbeck
sipped at the fragrant steaming liquid — Chatelaine
listeners understood, after one fleeting hearing, what the composer intended for slow sipping — P.H.Lang
transitive verb
1. : to take into the mouth in small drafts
sip tea
: drink in small quantities
she has sipped excitement experimentally, the way people sip a drink — Sally Benson
2. : to take sips from
sip a flower
: taste
3. : to bring to a specified condition by sipping
sipped the glass dry
II. noun
( -s )
1. : the act of sipping
2. : a small draft taken with the lips : a slight taste
a sip … from reservoirs of abstract philosophy — Thomas De Quincey