slip

/slɪp/

/slɪp/

Other forms: slipped; slipping; slips

When you slip, you slide or skid unintentionally. A slip is also a kind of underwear you wear under a skirt. A Freudian slip, on the other hand, is a slip of the tongue.

You can slip on a damp or icy surface, and you can also slip by making a mistake or getting worse, as in "If the company doesn't sell more candy, their profits will slip." It also means "move in a sneaky or quiet way," so you might slip out of a birthday party before cake is served. As a noun, a slip can be a mistake, a fall, a piece of something (especially paper), or a skirt-like type of underwear.

Definitions of slip

1. verb

   move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner
   synonyms: skid, slew, slide, slue

   types:

   submarine

   move forward or under in a sliding motion

   skid

   slide without control

   side-slip

   slide sideways through the air in a downward direction in an airplane along an inclined lateral axis

   type of:

   glide

   move smoothly and effortlessly
2. verb

   move out of position
   synonyms: dislocate, luxate, splay

   type of:

   displace, move

   cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense
3. verb

   get worse
   “My grades are slipping”

   synonyms: drop away, drop off, fall away

   types:

   backslide, lapse

   drop to a lower level, as in one's morals or standards

   type of:

   decline, worsen

   grow worse
4. verb

   to make a mistake or be incorrect
   synonyms: err, mistake

   types:

   misremember

   remember incorrectly

   slip up, stumble, trip up

   make an error

   misjudge

   judge incorrectly

   fall for

   be deceived, duped, or entrapped by

   underestimate, underrate

   make too low an estimate of

   overestimate, overrate

   make too high an estimate of

   miscalculate, misestimate

   judge incorrectly
5. noun

   an accidental misstep threatening (or causing) a fall
   “he blamed his slip on the ice”

   “the jolt caused many slips and a few spills”

   synonyms: trip

   types:

   fall, spill, tumble

   a sudden drop from an upright position

   pratfall

   a fall onto your buttocks

   wipeout

   a spill in some sport (as a fall from a bicycle or while skiing or being capsized on a surfboard)

   type of:

   misadventure, mischance, mishap

   an instance of misfortune
6. noun

   an unexpected slide
   synonyms: sideslip, skid

   type of:

   coast, glide, slide

   the act of moving smoothly along a surface while remaining in contact with it
7. noun

   a minor inadvertent mistake usually observed in speech or writing or in small accidents or memory lapses etc.
   synonyms: miscue, parapraxis, slip-up

   types:

   Freudian slip

   a slip-up that (according to Sigmund Freud) results from the operation of unconscious wishes or conflicts and can reveal unconscious processes in normal healthy individuals

   type of:

   error, fault, mistake

   a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
8. noun

   a socially awkward or tactless act
   synonyms: faux pas, gaffe, gaucherie, solecism

   type of:

   bloomer, blooper, blunder, boo-boo, botch, bungle, flub, foul-up, pratfall

   an embarrassing mistake
9. noun

   a flight maneuver; aircraft slides sideways in the air
   synonyms: sideslip

   type of:

   airplane maneuver, flight maneuver

   a maneuver executed by an aircraft
10. verb

    move easily
    “slip into something comfortable”

    type of:

    move

    move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion
11. verb

    move smoothly and easily
    “the bolt slipped into place”

    “water slipped from the polished marble”

    type of:

    break loose, escape, get away

    run away from confinement
12. verb

    cause to move with a smooth or sliding motion
    “he slipped the bolt into place”

    type of:

    displace, move

    cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense
13. verb

    move stealthily
    “The ship slipped away in the darkness”

    synonyms: steal

    type of:

    move

    move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion
14. verb

    pass on stealthily
    “He slipped me the key when nobody was looking”

    synonyms: sneak

    type of:

    give, hand, hand in, pass, pass on, reach, turn over

    place into the hands or custody of
15. verb

    insert inconspicuously or quickly or quietly
    “He slipped some money into the waiter's hand”

    type of:

    enclose, inclose, insert, introduce, put in, stick in

    introduce
16. verb

    pass out of one's memory
    synonyms: slip one's mind

    type of:

    blank out, block, draw a blank, forget

    be unable to remember
17. noun

    the act of avoiding capture (especially by cunning)
    synonyms: eluding, elusion

    type of:

    evasion

    the act of physically escaping from something (an opponent or a pursuer or an unpleasant situation) by some adroit maneuver
18. noun

    bed linen consisting of a cover for a pillow
    synonyms: case, pillow slip, pillowcase

    type of:

    bed linen

    linen or cotton articles for a bed (as sheets and pillowcases)
19. noun

    a woman's sleeveless undergarment
    synonyms: chemise, shift, shimmy, teddy

    type of:

    undergarment, unmentionable

    a garment worn under other garments
20. noun

    a place where a craft can be made fast
    synonyms: berth, moorage, mooring

    type of:

    anchorage, anchorage ground

    place for vessels to anchor
21. noun

    a slippery smoothness
    synonyms: slick, slickness, slipperiness

    type of:

    smoothness

    a texture without roughness; smooth to the touch
22. noun

    a part (sometimes a root or leaf or bud) removed from a plant to propagate a new plant through rooting or grafting
    synonyms: cutting

    types:

    quickset

    cuttings of plants set in the ground to grow as hawthorn for hedges or vines

    type of:

    stalk, stem

    a slender or elongated structure that supports a plant or fungus or a plant part or plant organ
23. noun

    a young and slender person
    “he's a mere slip of a lad”

    type of:

    spring chicken, young person, younker, youth

    a young person (especially a young man or boy)
24. noun

    a small sheet of paper
    “a receipt slip”

    synonyms: slip of paper

    type of:

    piece of paper, sheet, sheet of paper

    paper used for writing or printing
25. noun

    artifact consisting of a narrow flat piece of material
    synonyms: strip

    types:

    band

    a thin flat strip of flexible material that is worn around the body or one of the limbs (especially to decorate the body)

    band, ring

    a strip of material attached to the leg of a bird to identify it (as in studies of bird migration)

    band

    a thin flat strip or loop of flexible material that goes around or over something else, typically to hold it together or as a decoration

    cramp, cramp iron

    a strip of metal with ends bent at right angles; used to hold masonry together

    reef

    one of several strips across a sail that can be taken in or rolled up to lessen the area of the sail that is exposed to the wind

    lead, leading

    thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing

    mullion

    a nonstructural vertical strip between the casements or panes of a window (or the panels of a screen)

    ribbon, typewriter ribbon

    a long strip of inked material for making characters on paper with a typewriter

    screed

    an accurately levelled strip of material placed on a wall or floor as guide for the even application of plaster or concrete

    stay

    a thin strip of metal or bone that is used to stiffen a garment (e.g. a corset)

    tab

    a short strip of material attached to or projecting from something in order to facilitate opening or identifying or handling it

    tape

    a long thin piece of cloth or paper as used for binding or fastening

    weather strip, weather stripping, weatherstrip, weatherstripping

    a narrow strip of material to cover the joint of a door or window to exclude the cold

    adhesive tape

    tape coated with adhesive

    armband

    a band worn around the upper arm

    arm band, armlet

    a band worn around the arm for decoration

    backband

    a broad band that passes over the back of a horse and supports the shafts of a vehicle

    bellyband

    a cloth band that is worn around the waist (as on infants until the navel has healed)

    collar, neckband

    a band that fits around the neck and is usually folded over

    collar

    a band of leather or rope that is placed around an animal's neck as a harness or to identify it

    garter, supporter

    a band (usually elastic) worn around the leg to hold up a stocking (or around the arm to hold up a sleeve)

    cincture, girdle, sash, waistband, waistcloth

    a band of material around the waist that strengthens a skirt or trousers

    headband

    a band worn around or over the head

    headpiece, headstall

    the band that is the part of a bridle that fits around a horse's head

    hoop, ring

    a rigid circular band of metal or wood or other material used for holding or fastening or hanging or pulling

    inkle

    a linen tape used for trimming as a decoration

    elastic, elastic band, rubber band

    a narrow band of elastic rubber used to hold things (such as papers) together

    shoulder strap, strap

    a band that goes over the shoulder and supports a garment or bag

    sweatband

    a band of fabric or leather sewn inside the crown of a hat

    sweatband

    a band of material tied around the forehead or wrist to absorb sweat

    bracelet, watch bracelet, watchband, watchstrap, wristband

    a band of cloth or leather or metal links attached to a wristwatch and wrapped around the wrist

    webbing

    a narrow closely woven tape; used in upholstery or for seat belts

    mourning band, weed

    a black band worn by a man (on the arm or hat) as a sign of mourning

    wristband

    band consisting of a part of a sleeve that covers the wrist

    wrist band, wristlet

    a band or bracelet worn around the wrist

    type of:

    artefact, artifact

    a man-made object taken as a whole
26. noun

    potter's clay that is thinned and used for coating or decorating ceramics
    type of:

    potter's clay, potter's earth

    clay that does not contain any iron; used in making pottery or for modeling