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slip

noun

  1. woman's undergarment warn beneath a dress or skirt
  2. instance of sliding motion
  3. relative motion between a tire and the road surface it is moving on
  4. decrease
  5. a sloping ramp extending out into the water to serve as a place for landing or repairing ships
  6. a ship's or boat's berth between two piers
L18462 on Wikidata ↗

verb

  1. slide accidentally
  2. decrease
  3. give
L3633 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈslɪp/ / [ˈslɪp]

noun

Etymology: From Middle English slyp, slep, slyppe, from Old English slyp, slyppe, slipa (“a viscous, slimy substance”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Proto-West Germanic *sleupan, from Proto-Germanic *sleupaną (“to slip, sneak”), possibly connected with Proto-Indo-European *slewb-, *slewbʰ- (“slip, slide”), from Proto-Indo-European *sel- (“to sneak, crawl”); or alternatively from Proto-Germanic *slippijaną (“to glide”), from Proto-Indo-European *sleyb- (“slimy; to glide”). Compare Old English slūpan (“to slip, glide”), Old English cūslyppe, cūsloppe (“cowslip”).

  1. A thin, slippery mix of clay and water.

    “The Wasserpfeife or water-whistle from Moravia was a bird whistle made during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. […] The bird is of a grey and brown mottled glaze with sgraffito markings and touches of green slip.”

  2. Mud, slime.

verb

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-West Germanic *slippjander. Old Saxon *slippiander. Middle Low German slippender.? Middle English slippen English slip From Middle English slippen, probably from Middle Low German slippen, from Old Saxon *slippian, from Proto-West Germanic *slippjan, from Proto-Germanic *slipjaną (“to glide”), an iterative form of *slīpaną (“to slip, slide”), from Proto-Indo-European *sleyb- (“slimy; to slide”). Possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *slewbʰ- (“slip, slide”), or related to Proto-Germanic *slībaną (“to split”); related to Old English slipor (“slippery”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian slipje (“to slip”), Dutch slippen (“to slip”), German Low German slippen.

  1. To lose one’s traction on a slippery surface; to slide due to a lack of friction.

    “[...] but in the damp conditions prevailing the driver sensibly was unwilling to attempt the climb up through Combe Down tunnel without help, for fear of slipping to a standstill in the unventilated bore, […]”

    “Fernando Amorebieta seemed to have checked him, but a stepover created a fraction of room that became significant as the defender slipped, giving Falcao just enough space to curl a superb finish into the top corner.”

  2. To err.

    “There is one that slippeth in his speach, but not from his heart, and who is he that hath not offended with his tongue?”

  3. To accidentally reveal a secret or otherwise say something unintentionally.
  4. To move or fly (out of place); to shoot; often with out, off, etc.

    “A bone may slip out of place.”

  5. To elude or evade by smooth movement.

    “I caught the thief, but he slipped my grasp and ran away.”

  6. To pass (a note, money, etc.), often covertly.

    “She thanked the porter and slipped a ten-dollar bill into his hand.”

  7. To cause to move smoothly and quickly; to slide; to convey gently or secretly.

    “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; […]”

    ““This is a very urgent message for the countess’ ears alone,” replied Rokoff. “Tell her that she must arise and slip something about her and come to the telephone. I shall call up again in five minutes.””

  8. To move quickly and often secretively; to depart, withdraw, enter, appear, intrude, or escape as if by sliding.

    “Some errors slipped into the appendix.”

    “Thrice the flitting shadow slipped away.”

  9. To move down; to slide.

    “Profits have slipped over the past six months.”

    “The Cottagers had previously gone eight games without a win and had slipped into the relegation zone over Christmas, with boss Hughes criticised by fans after their 3-1 home defeat by fellow basement battlers West Ham on Boxing Day.”

  10. To release (a dog, a bird of prey, etc.) to go after a quarry.

    “Lucento slipped me like his greyhound.”

    “'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. Clipping of sideslip (“to fly with the longitudinal axis misaligned with the relative wind”).
  12. 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. To omit; to lose by negligence.

    “And slip no advantage / That may secure you.”

  14. To cut slips from; to cut; to take off; to make a slip or slips of.

    “to slip a piece of cloth or paper”

    “The branches also may be slipped and planted.”

  15. 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. To cause (a schedule or release, etc.) to go, or let it go, beyond the allotted deadline.

    “We have been consistently slipping the product release schedules.”

    “If you are going to slip the schedule, make it a big slip and make it early in your endgame effort so that your stakeholders can respond and adjust around you.”