English
slip
Pronunciation Etymology 1

From Middle English slippen, probably from Middle Low German slippen.

Cognate with Saterland Frisian slipje, Dutch slippen, nds-de slippen, slupen, German schlüpfen.

Verb

slip (slips, present participle slipping; simple past and past participle slipped)

  1. (intransitive) To lose one’s traction on a slippery surface; to slide due to a lack of friction.
  2. (intransitive) To err.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Ecclesiastes 19:16 ↗:
      There is one that slippeth in his speech, but not from his heart.
  3. (intransitive) To accidentally reveal a secret or otherwise say something unintentionally.
  4. (intransitive) To move or fly (out of place); to shoot; often with out, off, etc.
    A bone may slip out of place.
  5. (transitive) To elude or evade by smooth movement.
    I caught the thief, but he slipped my grasp and ran away.
  6. (transitive) To pass (a note, money, etc.), often covertly.
    She thanked the porter and slipped a ten-dollar bill into his hand.
  7. (transitive) To cause to move smoothly and quickly; to slide; to convey gently or secretly.
    • 1733, Humphry Polesworth [pseudonym; John Arbuthnot], Alexander Pope, compiler, “Law is a Bottomless Pit. Or, The History of John Bull. […]. The Second Part. Chapter XI. The Apprehending, Examination, and Imprisonment of Jack, for Suspicion of Poisoning.”, in Miscellanies, 2nd edition, volume II, London: […] Benjamin Motte, […], →OCLC ↗, page 119 ↗:
      Tvvo other VVitneſſes gave the follovving Evidence; That in his officious Attendance upon his Miſtreſs, he had try'd to ſlip a Povvder into her Drink, and that he vvas once catch'd endeavouring to ſtifle her vvith a Pillovv as ſhe vvas aſleep; […]
  8. (intransitive) To move quickly and often secretively; to depart, withdraw, enter, appear, intrude, or escape as if by sliding.
    Some errors slipped into the appendix.
    • 1697, Virgil, “Aeneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC ↗:
      Thrice the flitting shadow slipped away.
    • 1718, Mat[thew] Prior, “Alma: Or, The Progress of the Mind”, in Poems on Several Occasions, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], and John Barber […], →OCLC ↗, canto II:
      Thus one tradesman slips away, / To give his partner fairer play.
    • 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London, Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC ↗:
      We slipped along the hedges, noiseless and swift […]
  9. (intransitive, figuratively) To move down; to slide.
    Profits have slipped over the past six months.
  10. (transitive, hunting, falconry) To release (a dog, a bird of prey, etc.) to go after a quarry.
    • c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act V, scene ii]:
      Lucento slipped me like his greyhound.
    • 1881, P. Chr. Asbjörnsen [i.e., Peter Christen Asbjørnsen], translated by H. L. Brækstad, Round the Yule Log. Norwegian Folk and Fairy Tales, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, →OCLC ↗, page 78 ↗:
      'Well, it was one morning early in the spring,' said Lars, 'that I started for Linderudsœter, where I slipped Rap, and he was soon in full cry and made the hillside ring.'
  11. (intransitive, aviation, of an aircraft) Clipping of sideslip.
  12. (transitive, cooking) To remove the skin of a soft fruit, such as a tomato or peach, by blanching briefly in boiling water, then transferring to cold water so that the skin peels, or slips, off easily.
  13. (obsolete) To omit; to lose by negligence.
    • 1611, Ben[jamin] Jonson, Catiline His Conspiracy, London: […] [William Stansby?] for Walter Burre, →OCLC ↗, (please specify the page):
      And slip no advantage / That may secure you.
  14. (transitive) To cut slips from; to cut; to take off; to make a slip or slips of.
    to slip a piece of cloth or paper
    • 1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], →OCLC ↗:
      The branches also may be slipped and planted.
  15. (transitive) To cause to slip or slide off, or out of place.
    A horse slips his bridle; a dog slips his collar.
  16. To bring forth (young) prematurely; to slink.
  17. (transitive, business) To cause (a schedule or release, etc.) to go, or let it go, beyond the allotted deadline.
Translations Translations Translations Translations
  • German: herausrutschen
Translations Translations Translations Translations Noun

slip (plural slips)

  1. An act or instance of slipping.
    I had a slip on the ice and bruised my hip.
  2. A woman's undergarment worn under a skirt or dress to conceal unwanted nudity that may otherwise be revealed by the skirt or dress itself; a shift.
  3. A slipdress.
  4. A mistake or error.
    a slip of the tongue
    • 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC ↗:
      This good man's slip mended his pace to martyrdom.
  5. (nautical) A berth; a space for a ship to moor.
  6. (nautical) A difference between the theoretical distance traveled per revolution of the propeller and the actual advance of the vessel.
  7. (nautical) A slipway.
  8. (medicine) A one-time return to previous maladaptive behaviour after cure.
  9. (cricket) Any of several fielding positions to the off side of the wicket keeper, designed to catch the ball after being deflected from the bat; a fielder in that position (See first slip, second slip, third slip, fourth slip and fifth slip.)
  10. A number between 0 and 1 that is the difference between the angular speed of a rotating magnetic field and the angular speed of its rotor, divided by the angular speed of the magnetic field.
  11. A leash or string by which a dog is held; so called from its being made in such a manner as to slip, or become loose, by relaxation of the hand.
    • 1852, Samuel Baker, The Rifle and the Hound in Ceylon:
      We stalked over the extensive plains with Killbuck and Lena in the slips, in search of deer.
  12. An escape; a secret or unexpected desertion.
    He gave the warden the slip and escaped from the prison.
    • 1669 February 14 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Samuel Pepys, Mynors Bright, transcriber, “February 4th, 1668–1669”, in Henry B[enjamin] Wheatley, editor, The Diary of Samuel Pepys […], volume (please specify |volume=I to X), London: George Bell & Sons […]; Cambridge: Deighton Bell & Co., published 1893–1899, →OCLC ↗:
      This morning I made a slip from the Office to White Hall.
  13. (aviation) Clipping of sideslip
  14. (printing, dated) A portion of the columns of a newspaper etc. struck off by itself; a proof from a column of type when set up and in the galley.
  15. (dated) A child's pinafore.
  16. An outside covering or case.
    a pillow slip
    the slip or sheath of a sword
  17. (obsolete) A counterfeit piece of money, made from brass covered with silver.
    • c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act II, scene iv]:
      ROMEO: […] Good morrow to you both. What counterfeit did I give you?
      MERCUTIO:The slip, sir, the slip. Can you not conceive?
  18. Matter found in troughs of grindstones after the grinding of edge tools.
  19. A particular quantity of yarn.
  20. (UK, dated) A narrow passage between buildings.
  21. Either side of the gallery in a theater.
  22. (US) A long seat or narrow pew in churches, often without a door.
  23. (mining) A dislocation of a lead, destroying continuity.
  24. (engineering) The motion of the centre of resistance of the float of a paddle wheel, or the blade of an oar, through the water horizontally, or the difference between a vessel's actual speed and the speed it would have if the propelling instrument acted upon a solid; also, the velocity, relatively to still water, of the backward current of water produced by the propeller.
  25. (electrical) The difference between the actual and synchronous speeds of an induction motor.
  26. (telecommunications) The positional displacement in a sequence of transmitted symbols that causes the loss or insertion of one or more symbols.
  27. A fish, the sole.
Synonyms Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Etymology 2

Probably from Middle Dutch slippe or Middle Low German slippe, probably ultimately related to Proto-West Germanic *slīban.

Noun

slip (plural slips)

  1. A twig or shoot; a cutting.
    a slip from a vine
    • 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XIX, in Romance and Reality. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC ↗, page 322 ↗:
      "So much for auguries," said Emily, pointing to a young geranium, which was growing in vigour below. "The day before I left home, I planted that slip, and, in idea, linked my futurity with the slight shrub, saying, If it flourishes, so shall I—if it dies, I shall die too. See how luxuriantly it blooms!"
  2. (obsolete) A descendant, a scion.
    • c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All's Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene iii]:
      a native slip to us from foreign seeds
  3. A young person (now usually with of introducing descriptive qualifier).
    She couldn't hurt a fly, young slip of a girl that she is.
  4. A long, thin piece of something.
    • 1832 December (indicated as 1833), Alfred Tennyson, “Œnone”, in Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC ↗, page 62 ↗:
      Never, nevermore / Shall lone Œnone see the morning mist / Sweep thro' them—never see them overlaid / With narrow moonlit slips of silver cloud, / Between the loud stream and the trembling stars.
  5. A small piece of paper, especially one longer than it is wide, typically a form for writing on or one giving printed information.
    a salary slip
  6. (marine insurance) A memorandum of the particulars of a risk for which a policy is to be executed. It usually bears the broker's name and is initiated by the underwriters.
Translations Translations Etymology 3

From Middle English slyp, slep, slyppe, from Old English slyp, slyppe, slipa, of uncertain origin.

Compare Old English slūpan, Old English cūslyppe, cūsloppe.

Noun

slip

  1. (ceramics) A thin, slippery mix of clay and water.
  2. (obsolete) Mud, slime.
Translations

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