dip

views updated May 23 2018

dip / dip/ • v. (dipped , dip·ping ) 1. [tr.] (dip something in/into) put or let something down quickly or briefly in or into (liquid): he dipped a brush in the paint. ∎  [intr.] (dip into) put a hand or tool into (a bag or container) in order to take something out: Ian dipped into his briefcase and pulled out a photograph. ∎  [intr.] (dip into) spend from or make use of (one's financial resources): you won't have to dip into your savings. ∎  [intr.] (dip into) read only parts of (a book) in a desultory manner. ∎  take (snuff). ∎  immerse (sheep) in a chemical solution that kills parasites. ∎  make (a candle) by immersing a wick repeatedly in hot wax: [as adj.] (dipped) dipped candles are made using simple equipment. ∎  inf., dated baptize (someone) by immersion in water. 2. [intr.] sink or drop downward: swallows dipped and soared the sun had dipped below the horizon. ∎  (of a level or amount) become lower or smaller, typically temporarily: the president's popularity has dipped | audiences dipped below 600,000 for the series. ∎  (of a road, path, or area of land) slope downward: the path rose and dipped. ∎  [tr.] lower or move (something) downward: the plane dipped its wings.• n. 1. a brief swim: she went for a dip in a pool. ∎  a brief immersion in liquid: a dip in hot water is prescribed to destroy fruit flies. ∎ short for sheep dip. ∎  a cursory read of part of a book: a quick dip into this publication. 2. a thick sauce in which pieces of food are dunked before eating: tasty garlic dip. ∎  a quantity that has been scooped up from a mass: ice cream sold by the dip. 3. a brief downward slope followed by an upward one: the road’s precipitous dips and turns. ∎  an act of sinking or dropping briefly before rising again: a dip in the share price. 4. technical the extent to which something is angled downward from the horizontal, in particular: ∎  (also magnetic dip) the angle made with the horizontal at any point by the earth's magnetic field, or by a magnetic needle in response to this. ∎  Geol. the angle a stratum makes with the horizontal: the cliff profile tends to be dominated by the dip of the beds. ∎  Astron. & Surveying the apparent depression of the horizon from the line of observation, due to the curvature of the earth. 5. inf., dated a pickpocket. 6. inf. a stupid or foolish person.7. archaic a candle made by immersing a wick repeatedly in hot wax.PHRASES: dip one's toe into (or in) put one's toe briefly in (water), typically to check the temperature. ∎  begin to do or test (something) cautiously: the company has already dipped its toe into the market.

dip

views updated May 08 2018

dip
1. The angle of inclination of a planar feature measured from a horizontal datum. The true dip is always measured in a vertical plane perpendicular to the strike of the plane of either bedding or cleavage. The angle of dip measured in any plane not perpendicular to the strike is an apparent dip and will always be less than the true dip.

2. (magnetic) The inclination of the Earth's magnetic field from the horizontal. Positive dips are downwards, negative are upwards from the horizontal plane.

DIP

views updated Jun 08 2018

DIP
1. Short for dual in-line package. An integrated circuit encapsulated in a rectangular plastic or ceramic package with a row of metal legs down each of the long sides (see diagram). The legs are terminating pins. The number of terminations and hence the package size is a function of the number of external connections to the chip. The legs can either be soldered into holes in a printed circuit board or inserted into a chip socket.

2. Abbrev. for document image processing.

DIP

views updated May 18 2018

DIP / dip/ • abbr. ∎  Comput. document image processing, a system for the digital storage and retrieval of documents as scanned images. ∎  Electr. dual in-line package, a package for an integrated circuit consisting of a rectangular sealed unit with two parallel rows of downward-pointing pins.

dip

views updated May 11 2018

dip let down into liquid OE.; go down, sink XIV; have a downward inclination XVII. OE. dyppan :- *dupjan, f. Gmc. *dup- *deup- (see DEEP).
Hence dip sb. act of dipping XVI; depression; downward inclination XVIII.

dip

views updated May 29 2018

dip The angle by which a plane feature inclines from the horizontal.