December 15, 2011 - Word of the Day: trip

If you fall over something, you trip:

• Joe tripped over something and fell down.
• Be careful walking on these rocks--you might trip.
• Maria tripped on some loose carpeting.
• He tripped and spilled his coffee.

Someone or something can cause you to fall down. In this case, the fall is not accidental--it's intentional:

• Dave tripped his friend and made him fall over.
• She tripped her opponent during the soccer match.
• Why did you trip me?

If you use the word "trip" as a noun, it means something completely different from the verb form. A trip can be a vacation, a journey, or a long or short drive:

• They're taking a trip to Venezuela this summer.
• I have to make a trip to the grocery store.
• Rosa enjoyed her trip on the train.
• Did you have a nice trip?

They took a trip to Florida last year.

Click here to go to the Word of the Day page.