blip

views updated May 29 2018

blip / blip/ • n. 1. a short high-pitched sound made by an electronic device.2. a flashing point of light on a radar screen representing an object, typically accompanied by a high-pitched sound.3. an unexpected, minor, and typically temporary deviation from a general trend: an upward blip in house prices.4. a brief segment, esp. of a telecast: the media fire unrelated blips of information at us the blips on the evening news.• v. (blipped, blip·ping) [intr.] (of an electronic device) make a short high-pitched sound or succession of sounds.ORIGIN: late 19th cent. (denoting a sudden rap or tap): imitative; the noun sense ‘unexpected deviation’ dates from the 1970s.