sip

¹

[sip]

verb (used with object)

sipped, sipping 

1. to drink (a liquid) a little at a time; take small tastes of.

   He sipped the hot tea noisily.

2. to drink from a little at a time.

   The bird sipped the flower.

3. to take in; absorb.

   to sip knowledge at its source.

verb (used without object)

sipped, sipping 

1. to drink by sips.

noun

1. an instance of sipping; a small taste of a liquid.

   One sip told me that the milk was sour.

2. a small quantity taken by sipping.

   Take just a sip, not a gulp or a swallow.

SIP

²

1. supplemental income plan.

sip

/ sɪp /

verb

1. to drink (a liquid) by taking small mouthfuls; drink gingerly or delicately

noun

1. a small quantity of a liquid taken into the mouth and swallowed

2. an act of sipping

Other Word Forms

• sipper noun
• sippingly adverb
• unsipped adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sip¹

1350–1400; Middle English sippen (v.), akin to Low German sippen to sip

Word History and Origins

Origin of sip¹

C14: probably from Low German sippen

Synonym Study

See drink.

Example Sentences

Children somersaulted into a pool as adults sipped cocktails and dined on burgers, blue- and orange-striped umbrellas shielding them from the summer sun.

From Los Angeles Times

At stake is not only what children sip at lunch but also who gets to decide the rules for healthy eating — and whether emerging science or political ideology shapes those choices.

From Salon

If you experience any of these, officials say to move to a cooler place and sip water.

From Los Angeles Times

The finished drink is then served over ice and topped with a pickle spear, which can be eaten in between sips of lemonade.

From Salon

Everyone is Goop now: the trad wife showing off her sourdough starter, the “clean girl” sipping matcha before Pilates, the Gen Z dinner party host perfecting a Pinterest-worthy tablescape.

From Salon

Related Words

• imbibe 
• quaff 
• savor