dip

The word "dip" is used when putting an object, such as food, into a soft or liquid material. A dipping action goes down and then back up again:

• Before eating the tortilla chip, Martha dipped it in some salsa.
• The ice cream cone was dipped in chocolate.
• Cheese curds are dipped in batter and then deep fried to make fried cheese curds.
• When I dip a paint brush into a can of paint, I’m careful not to let the paint drip.
• Dip your toe in the water to see how warm it is.

You can also use "dip" for other situations that don’t involve liquid:

• Temperatures dipped below freezing last night and killed the tomato plants.
• Edward is trying not to dip into his savings. (He wants to keep the money in the bank.)
• The professor dipped carefully into the sensitive topic of abortion during class discussion.
• The sun dipped below the horizon and then completely disappeared before it got dark.

Sometimes "dip" is used as a noun:

• Let’s take a dip in the lake. (Let’s go swimming.)
• That’s a great cheese dip.
• There’s a dip in the road coming up. (A dip in the road is an area that’s lower than the other parts of the road.)
• Don’t be a dip. (dip = a person with a dumb idea)

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February 11, 2013