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   Slip

   /slip/

   

   verb

   • 1. (of a person or animal) slide unintentionally for a short distance, typically losing one's balance or footing: "I slipped on the ice" Similar slideskidslitherglidefall overfalllose one's balancelose/miss one's footingstumbletumbletrip
   • ▪ (of a thing) accidentally slide or move out of position or from someone's grasp: "the envelope slipped through Luke's fingers" Similar falldropslide
   • ▪ fail to grip or make proper contact with a surface: "the front wheels began to slip"
   • 2. go or move quietly or quickly, without attracting notice: "we slipped out by a back door" Similar creepstealsneakslidesidleslopeslinkpadtiptoepussyfootedgemove stealthily/quietlyinsinuate oneself
   • ▪ put (something) in a particular place or position quietly, quickly, or stealthily: "she slipped the map into her pocket" Similar puttuckstowinsertinformal:popstickshovestuffOpposite remove
   • ▪ put on (a garment) quickly and easily: "Sarah slipped into a red jacket" Similar put onpull ondondress/clothe oneself inget intoclimb intofling onthrow onpour oneself intochange intoinformal:tog oneself up/out indoll oneself up inOpposite take off
   • ▪ take off (a garment) quickly and easily: "in the bathroom she quickly slipped out of her clothes" Similar take offremovepull offpeel offshrug offdiscardsheddivest oneself ofdofffling offfling asideclimb out ofundounfastenunbuttonunzipOpposite put on
   • 3. pass or change to a lower, worse, or different condition, typically in a gradual or imperceptible way: "many people feel standards have slipped" Similar declinedeterioratedegenerateworsenget worsefallfall offdropdecaybackslideregressinformal:go downhillgo to the dogsgo to potgo down the tube/tubesgo down the toilethit the skidsdropgo downsinkslumptumbleplungeplummetfall off a cliffdecreasedepreciateinformal:crashnosediveOpposite improverise
   • ▪ be behaving in a way that is not up to one's usual level of performance: informal "you're slipping, Joe—you need a vacation" Similar declinedeterioratedegenerateworsenget worsefallfall offdropdecaybackslideregressinformal:go downhillgo to the dogsgo to potgo down the tube/tubesgo down the toilethit the skidsOpposite improve
   • 4. escape or get loose from (a means of restraint): "the giant balloon slipped its moorings"
   • ▪ (of a thought or fact) fail to be remembered by (one's mind or memory); elude (one's notice): "a beautiful woman's address was never likely to slip his mind"
   • ▪ release (an animal, typically a hunting dog) from restraint: "they slipped the hounds, the hare racing for the side of the hill"
   • ▪ move (a stitch) to the other needle without knitting it: "slip the next twelve stitches onto a stitch holder"
   • ▪ release (the clutch of a motor vehicle) slightly or for a moment: "I gunned the engine, slipping the clutch slightly"
   • ▪ (of an animal) produce (dead young) prematurely; abort: "if you twist a mare's back too sharply it can slip foal"

   noun

   • 1. an act of sliding unintentionally for a short distance: "a single slip could send them plummeting down the mountainside" Similar false stepmisstepslideskidfalltriptumble
   • ▪ relative movement of an object or surface and a solid surface in contact with it.
   • ▪ a reduction in the movement of a pulley or other mechanism due to slipping of the belt, rope, etc.
   • ▪ a sideways movement of an aircraft in flight, typically downward toward the center of curvature of a turn: "the slip is used to get rid of excess height"
   • ▪ the extent of relative horizontal displacement of corresponding points on either side of a fault plane: "a slip plane"
   • 2. a fall to a lower level or standard: "a continued slip in house prices"
   • ▪ a minor or careless mistake: "the judge made a slip in his summing up"
   • 3. a woman's loose-fitting, dress- or skirt-length undergarment, suspended by shoulder straps (full slip) or by an elasticized waistband (half slip): "a silk slip" Similar underskirtpetticoatundersliphalf-slip
   • 4. a slope built leading into water, used for launching and landing boats and ships or for building and repairing them: "he brought his steamer to the yard for overhaul at his old employer's slip"
   • ▪ a space in which to dock a boat or ship, especially between two wharves or piers.
   • 5. a leash which enables a dog to be released quickly: "Tommy bolted off like a greyhound released from the slips"
   • 6. short for slip stitch

   Word Origin Middle English (in the sense ‘move quickly and softly’): probably from Middle Low German slippen (verb); compare with slippery.

   Scrabble Points: 6

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