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slipping - 4 dictionary results

slip

1  [slip] verb, slipped or (Archaic) slipt; slipped; slip⋅ping; noun
Use slipping in a Sentence
–verb (used without object)
1. to move, flow, pass, or go smoothly or easily; glide; slide: Water slips off a smooth surface.
2. to slide suddenly or involuntarily; to lose one's foothold, as on a smooth surface: She slipped on the icy ground.
3. to move, slide, or start gradually from a place or position: His hat had slipped over his eyes.
4. to slide out of or become disengaged from a fastening, the grasp, etc.: The soap slipped from my hand.
5. to pass without having been acted upon or used; be lost; get away: to let an opportunity slip.
6. to pass from the mind, memory, or consciousness.
7. to elapse or pass quickly or imperceptibly (often fol. by away or by): The years slipped by.
8. to become involved or absorbed easily: to slip into a new way of life.
9. to move or go quietly, cautiously, or unobtrusively: to slip out of a room.
10. to put on or take off a garment easily or quickly: She slipped on the new sweater. He slipped off his shoes.
11. to make a mistake or error: As far as I know, you haven't slipped once.
12. to fall below a standard or accustomed level, or to decrease in quantity or quality; decline; deteriorate: His work slipped last year.
13. to be said or revealed inadvertently (usually fol. by out): The words just slipped out.
14. to read, study, consider, etc., without attention: He slipped over the most important part.
15. Aeronautics. (of an aircraft when excessively banked) to slide sideways, toward the center of the curve described in turning. Compare skid (def. 15).
–verb (used with object)
16. to cause to move, pass, go, etc., with a smooth, easy, or sliding motion.
17. to put, place, pass, insert, or withdraw quickly or stealthily: to slip a letter into a person's hand.
18. to put on or take off (a garment) easily or quickly: He slipped the shirt over his head.
19. to let or make (something) slide out of a fastening, the hold, etc.: I slipped the lock, and the door creaked open.
20. to release from a leash, harness, etc., as a hound or a hawk.
21. to get away or free oneself from; escape (a pursuer, restraint, leash, etc.): The cow slipped its halter.
22. to untie or undo (a knot).
23. Nautical. to let go entirely, as an anchor cable or an anchor.
24. to pass from or escape (one's memory, attention, knowledge, etc.).
25. to dislocate; put out of joint or position: I slipped a disk in my back.
26. to shed or cast: The rattlesnake slipped its skin.
27. to ignore, pass over, or omit, as in speaking or writing.
28. to let pass unheeded; neglect or miss.
29. Boxing. to evade or avoid (a blow) by moving or turning the body quickly: He slipped a right and countered with a hard left.
30. (of animals) to bring forth (offspring) prematurely.
31. British. to detach (a railway car) from a moving train as it passes through a station.
–noun
32. an act or instance of slipping.
33. a sudden losing of one's foothold, as on slippery ground.
34. a mistake in judgment; blunder.
35. a mistake or oversight, as in speaking or writing, esp. a small one due to carelessness: a minor slip in addition; a slip of the tongue.
36. an error in conduct; indiscretion.
37. something easily slipped on or off.
38. a decline or fall in quantity, quality, extent, etc., or from a standard or accustomed level: a slip in prices.
39. Clothing.
a. a woman's undergarment, sleeveless and usually having shoulder straps, extending from above the bust down to the hemline of the outer dress.
b. an underskirt, as a half-slip or petticoat.
40. a pillowcase.
41. an inclined plane, sloping to the water, on which vessels are built or repaired.
42. Nautical. the difference between the speed at which a screw propeller or paddle wheel would move if it were working against a solid and the actual speed at which it advances through the water.
43. a space between two wharves or in a dock for vessels to lie in.
44. Electricity. the difference between the synchronous and the operating speeds of a motor.
45. Machinery.
a. the difference between output speed and input or theoretical speed in certain fluid or electromagnetic devices, as couplings or motors.
b. (in pumps) the difference between the actual volume of water or other liquid delivered by a pump during one complete stroke and the theoretical volume as determined by calculation of the displacement.
46. unintended movement or play between mechanical parts or the like.
47. Cricket.
a. the position of a fielder who stands behind and to the offside of the wicketkeeper.
b. the fielder playing this position.
48. Geology.
a. the relative displacement of formerly adjacent points on opposite sides of a fault, measured along the fault plane.
b. a small fault.
49. Also called glide. Metallurgy. plastic deformation of one part of a metallic crystal relative to the other part due to shearing action.
—Verb phrases
50. slip away,
a. to depart quietly or unobtrusively; steal off.
b. to recede; slowly vanish: All those facts I had memorized just slipped away.
51. slip up, to make an error; fail: I slipped up and put the letter in the wrong envelope.
—Idioms
52. give someone the slip, to elude a pursuer; escape: The murderer gave the police the slip.
53. let slip, to reveal unintentionally: to let slip the truth.
54. slip a cog. cog 1 (def. 6).
55. slip between the cracks. crack (def. 54).
56. slip someone's mind, to be forgotten: I was supposed to phone, but it slipped my mind.
57. slip something over on, to deceive; defraud; trick. Also, slip one over on.
Origin:
1250–1300; (v.) ME slippen < MD slippen; c. OHG slipfen; (n.) late ME slippe, deriv. of or akin to the v.; cf. OHG slipf a sliding, slipping, error; akin to slipper 2

Related forms:
slipless, adjective
slip⋅ping⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1, 2. slither. See slide. 11. err, blunder. 35. error, fault. See mistake.

slip

2  [slip] noun, verb, slipped, slip⋅ping.
–noun
1. a small paper form on which information is noted: a withdrawal slip.
2. a piece suitable for propagation cut from a plant; scion or cutting.
3. any long, narrow piece or strip, as of wood, paper, or land.
4. a young person, esp. one of slender form: a mere slip of a girl.
5. a long seat or narrow pew in a church.
6. Bookbinding. one of the ends of a band, extending at the sides of a book after sewing.
–verb (used with object)
7. to take slips or cuttings from (a plant).
8. to take (a part), as a slip from a plant.
Origin:
1400–50; late ME slippe < MD slippe flap (of a piece of clothing)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To slipping
slip 1   (slĭp)   
v.   slipped, slip·ping, slips

v.   intr.
    1. To move smoothly, easily, and quietly: slipped into bed.
    2. To move stealthily; steal.
    3. To slide involuntarily and lose one's balance or foothold. See Synonyms at slide.
    4. To slide out of place; shift position: The gear slipped.
  2. To pass gradually, easily, or imperceptibly: "It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by" (Vita Sackville-West).
    1. To slide involuntarily and lose one's balance or foothold. See Synonyms at slide.
    2. To slide out of place; shift position: The gear slipped.
  4. To escape, as from a grasp, fastening, or restraint: slipped away from his pursuers.
  5. To decline from a former or standard level; fall off.
  6. To fall behind a scheduled production rate.
  7. To fall into fault or error. Often used with up.
v.   tr.
  1. To cause to move in a smooth, easy, or sliding motion: slipped the bolt into place.
  2. To place or insert smoothly and quietly.
  3. To put on or remove (clothing) easily or quickly: slip on a sweater; slipped off her shoes.
  4. To get loose or free from; elude.
  5. To give birth to prematurely. Used of animals.
  6. To unleash or free (a dog or hawk) to pursue game.
  7. To release, loose, or unfasten: slip a knot.
  8. To dislocate (a bone).
  9. To pass (a knitting stitch) from one needle to another without knitting it.
n.  
  1. The act or an instance of slipping or sliding.
  2. An accident or mishap, especially a falling down.
    1. An error in conduct or thinking; a mistake.
    2. A slight error or oversight, as in speech or writing: a slip of the tongue.
    3. A docking place for a ship between two piers.
    4. A slipway.
    5. A woman's undergarment of dress length with shoulder straps.
    6. A half-slip.
    7. A smooth crack at which rock strata have moved on each other.
    8. A small fault.
    9. The relative displacement of formerly adjacent points on opposite sides of a fault.
  4. Nautical
    1. A docking place for a ship between two piers.
    2. A slipway.
    3. A woman's undergarment of dress length with shoulder straps.
    4. A half-slip.
    5. A smooth crack at which rock strata have moved on each other.
    6. A small fault.
    7. The relative displacement of formerly adjacent points on opposite sides of a fault.
  5. Nautical The difference between a vessel's actual speed through water and the speed at which the vessel would move if the screw were propelling against a solid.
    1. A woman's undergarment of dress length with shoulder straps.
    2. A half-slip.
    3. A smooth crack at which rock strata have moved on each other.
    4. A small fault.
    5. The relative displacement of formerly adjacent points on opposite sides of a fault.
  7. A pillowcase.
  8. Geology
    1. A smooth crack at which rock strata have moved on each other.
    2. A small fault.
    3. The relative displacement of formerly adjacent points on opposite sides of a fault.
  9. The difference between optimal and actual output in a mechanical device.
  10. Movement between two parts where none should exist, as between a pulley and a belt.
  11. A sideways movement of an airplane when banked too far.

[Middle English slippen, probably of Middle Low German or Middle Dutch origin; see lei- in Indo-European roots.]
slip 2   (slĭp)   
n.  
  1. A part of a plant cut or broken off for grafting or planting; a scion or cutting.
  2. A long narrow piece; a strip.
  3. A slender youthful person: a slip of a child.
  4. A small piece of paper, especially a small form, document, or receipt: a deposit slip; a sales slip.
  5. A narrow pew in a church.
tr.v.   slipped, slip·ping, slips
To make a slip from (a plant or plant part).

[Probably from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch slippe.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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