(~s, ~ping, ~ped)
1.
If you ~ something in a liquid, you put it into the liquid for a short time, so that only part of it is covered, and take it out again.
Quickly ~ the base in and out of cold water.
VERB: V n into/in n
•
Dip is also a noun.
One ~ into the bottle should do an entire nail.
N-COUNT
2.
If you ~ your hand into a container or ~ into the container, you put your hand into it in order to take something out of it.
She ~ped a hand into the jar of sweets and pulled one out...
Watch your fingers as you ~ into the pot...
Ask the children to guess what’s in each container by ~ping their hands in.
VERB: V n into n, V into n, V n with in
3.
If something ~s, it makes a downward movement, usually quite quickly.
Blake jumped in expertly; the boat ~ped slightly under his weight...
The sun ~ped below the horizon.
VERB: V, V prep
•
Dip is also a noun.
I noticed little things, a ~ of the head, a twitch in the shoulder.
N-COUNT
4.
If an area of land, a road, or a path ~s, it goes down quite suddenly to a lower level.
The road ~ped and rose again.
...a path which suddenly ~s down into a tunnel.
VERB: V, V adv/prep
•
Dip is also a noun.
Where the road makes a ~, turn right.
N-COUNT
5.
If the amount or level of something ~s, it becomes smaller or lower, usually only for a short period of time.
Unemployment ~ped to 6.9 per cent last month...
The president became more cautious as his popularity ~ped.
= fall
VERB: V prep/adv, V
•
Dip is also a noun.
...the current ~ in farm spending.
N-COUNT: oft N in n
6.
A ~ is a thick creamy sauce. You ~ pieces of raw vegetable or biscuits into the sauce and then eat them.
Maybe we could just buy some ~s.
...prawns with avocado ~.
N-VAR
7.
If you have or take a ~, you go for a quick swim in the sea, a river, or a swimming pool.
She flicked through a romantic paperback between occasional ~s in the pool.
= swim
N-COUNT
8.
If you are driving a car and ~ the headlights, you operate a switch that makes them shine downwards, so that they do not shine directly into the eyes of other drivers. (BRIT; in AM, use dim )
He ~ped his headlights as they came up behind a slow-moving van...
This picture shows the view from a car using normal ~ped lights.
VERB: V n, V-ed
9.
If you ~ into a book, you have a brief look at it without reading or studying it seriously.
...a chance to ~ into a wide selection of books on Tibetan Buddhism.
VERB: V into n
10.
If you ~ into a sum of money that you had intended to save, you use some of it to buy something or pay for something.
Just when she was ready to ~ into her savings, Greg hastened to her rescue.
VERB: V into n
11.
to ~ your toes: see toe
see also lucky ~