slip

Where “slip” sits in English frequency

Definition

1. 1
   To lose one’s traction on a slippery surface; to slide due to a lack of friction.
2. 2
   To err.
3. 3
   To accidentally reveal a secret or otherwise say something unintentionally.
4. 4
   To move or fly (out of place); to shoot; often with out, off, etc.
5. 5
   To elude or evade by smooth movement.
6. 6
   To pass (a note, money, etc.), often covertly.
7. 7
   To cause to move smoothly and quickly; to slide; to convey gently or secretly.
8. 8
   To move quickly and often secretively; to depart, withdraw, enter, appear, intrude, or escape as if by sliding.
9. 9
   To move down; to slide.
10. 10
    To release (a dog, a bird of prey, etc.) to go after a quarry.
11. 11
    Clipping of sideslip (“to fly with the longitudinal axis misaligned with the relative wind”).
12. 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. 13
    To omit; to lose by negligence.
14. 14
    To cut slips from; to cut; to take off; to make a slip or slips of.
15. 15
    To cause to slip or slide off, or out of place.
16. 16
    To bring forth (young) prematurely; to slink.
17. 17
    To cause (a schedule or release, etc.) to go, or let it go, beyond the allotted deadline.

Etymology

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.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: lsip,silp,slipp,sllip,slpi,sslip

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of slip - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

Frequently Asked Questions