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pip - What does it mean?

Definition of 'pip'

English

(pip)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) pippe, from Middle (etyl) pip, from post-classical (etyl) pipita, from (etyl) .

Noun

(en-noun)
  • Any of various respiratory diseases in birds, especially infectious coryza.
  • (humorous) Of humans, a disease, malaise or depression.
  • * , letter to Edward Garnett
  • I've got the pip horribly at present.
  • * {{quote-book
  • |year=1960 |author= |title=(Jeeves in the Offing) |section=chapter IV |passage=With this deal Uncle Tom's got on with Homer Cream, it would be fatal to risk giving [Mrs Cream] the pip in any way.}}
    Derived terms
    * like a chicken with the pip

    Etymology 2

    Apparently representing a shortened form of pippin, from (etyl) pipin, from (etyl) ).

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • (obsolete) A pippin.
  • A seed inside certain fleshy fruits (compare stone/pit), such as a peach, orange, or apple.
  • (US|colloquial) Something or someone excellent, of high quality.
  • * 2006 , Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day , Vintage 2007, p. 612:
  • She sure is a pip , that one. You need company?
  • (British|dated|WW I|signalese) P in (RAF phonetic alphabet)
  • Derived terms
    * pip emma

    Etymology 3

    Origin uncertain, perhaps related to Etymology 2, above.

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • One of the spots or symbols on a playing card, domino, die, etc.
  • (military|public service) One of the stars worn on the shoulder of a uniform to denote rank, e.g. of a soldier or a fireman.
  • A spot; a speck.
  • A spot of light or an inverted V indicative of a return of radar waves reflected from an object; a blip.
  • A piece of rhizome with a dormant shoot of the lily of the valley plant, used for propagation
  • Synonyms
    * (symbol on playing card etc) spot

    Verb

  • To get the better of; to defeat
  • He led throughout the race but was pipped at the post.
  • To hit with a gunshot
  • The hunter managed to pip three ducks from his blind.

    Etymology 4

    Imitative.

    Verb

  • To peep, to chirp
  • (avian biology) To make the initial hole during the process of hatching from an egg
  • Etymology 5

    Imitative.

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • One of a series of very short, electronically produced tones, used, for example, to count down the final few seconds before a given time or to indicate that a caller using a payphone needs to make further payment if he is to continue his call.
  • Synonyms
    * (sense) stroke

    Etymology 6

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • (finance|currency trading) The smallest price increment between two currencies in foreign exchange (forex) trading.
  • Anagrams

    * English palindromes ----

    Similar to 'pip'

    poop, pop, peep, pap, pep, pup, peop