(physics) the angle that a magnetic needle makes with the plane of the horizon
"The physicist measured the dip to determine how far below the horizontal plane the Earth's magnetic field lines were inclined at their location."
a thief who steals from the pockets or purses of others in public places
"The police arrested the notorious dip after he was caught snatching wallets from passersby on the busy street."
tasty mixture or liquid into which bite-sized foods are dipped
"She added a generous dollop of ranch dip to her plate before enjoying the crispy chicken wings."
a candle that is made by repeated dipping in a pool of wax or tallow
"The antique shop displayed several vintage dips, each featuring intricate patterns created during their original manufacture."
a gymnastic exercise on the parallel bars in which the body is lowered and raised by bending and straightening the arms
"During his routine, he performed a perfect dip to showcase his upper body strength."
A lower section of a road or geological feature.
"The technician replaced the faulty DIP component on the circuit board."
A foolish person.
Initialism of device-independent pixel.
A diplomat.
Acronym of dual in-line package.
In plain English: A dip is a type of electronic component packaging where two rows of pins stick out from the bottom.
"The engineer carefully examined the dip to ensure proper component placement."
Usage: Dip (noun) refers specifically to an electronic component packaging style - a rectangular package with two rows of pins used primarily for integrated circuits. Use it when discussing electronics or circuit board design, not for food or liquids.
stain an object by immersing it in a liquid
"She dipped her pen into the inkwell to write her signature."
place (candle wicks) into hot, liquid wax
"She carefully dipped the cotton wicks into the melted paraffin to prepare them for burning."
To lower into a liquid.
"She dipped her bread into the soup before eating it."
In plain English: To dip means to briefly put something into a liquid.
"She decided to dip her paintbrush in red paint."
Usage: Dip (verb) Use "dip" when something is briefly lowered into a liquid, like dipping a chip in salsa or a paintbrush in paint. Avoid using it to describe a sudden decrease; use "drop" instead.
The word "dip" comes from the Old English verb dyppan and entered Middle English as dippen before becoming part of modern English. Its original meaning was simply to lower something into a liquid, which remains its primary definition today.