Word of the Day: Dip
The word “dip” is used when putting an object, such as food, into a soft or liquid material. A dipping action goes down and then back up again:
- Before eating the tortilla chip, Martha dipped it in some salsa.
- The ice cream cone was dipped in chocolate.
- Cheese curds are dipped in batter and then deep fried to make fried cheese curds.
- When I dip a paint brush into a can of paint, I’m careful not to let the paint drip.
- Dip your toe in the water to see how warm it is.
You can also use “dip” for other situations that don’t involve liquid:
- Temperatures dipped below freezing last night and killed the tomato plants.
- Edward is trying not to dip into his savings. (He wants to keep the money in the bank.)
- The professor dipped carefully into the sensitive topic of abortion during class discussion.
- The sun dipped below the horizon and then completely disappeared before it got dark.
Sometimes “dip” is used as a noun:
- Let’s take a dip in the lake. (Let’s go swimming.)
- That’s a great cheese dip.
- There’s a dip in the road coming up. (A dip in the road is an area that’s lower than the other parts of the road.)
- Don’t be a dip. (dip = a person with a dumb idea)
Essential English Dictionary
Visit the Popular English Words Beginning with D page to see the list of all words starting with letter D. For seeing the HiCafe dictionary, visit the Popular English Words with Meaning page.