slip

I UK [slɪp] / US verb
Word forms "slip":
present tense I/you/we/they slip he/she/it slips present participle slipping past tense slipped past participle slipped
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1) [intransitive] if you slip, your feet slide accidentally and you lose your balance or fall over

Margaret slipped and broke her arm.

slip on:

Be careful you don't slip on the wet floor.

a) [intransitive] if something that is moving round slips, it fails to stay firmly on a surface

The truck's wheels were slipping and spinning in the mud.

b) [intransitive] if something that you are holding or wearing slips, it falls from your hands, or it falls from position

The knife slipped and cut my finger.

slip out of:

The ball slipped out of my hands as I tried to catch it.

slip off:

Tighten the straps so they won't slip off your shoulders.

c) [transitive] to become free, or to no longer be held by something

The boat slipped its moorings and started to drift.

2) [intransitive] to go somewhere, especially quickly and quietly without people noticing you or stopping you

slip into/out of/through etc:

Several people managed to slip past the guards and into the concert.

slip into/out of/through etc:

Sarah slipped into the room and carefully shut the door.

3)

a) [transitive] to slide something into a place or position

slip something into/around/under etc something:

I'll slip the letter under your door.

slip something into/around/under etc something:

John slipped his arm around his wife's waist.

b) to put something somewhere, or to give something to someone quickly and quietly, so that other people do not see what you are doing

Michael slipped the bar of chocolate into his pocket.

slip someone something:

If you slip him some cash he'll get you good seats.

4) [intransitive] to become gradually less strong or good, or to move into a worse condition

Support for the death penalty has been slipping.

Profits slipped by 13% last year.

Standards have been slipping over the years.

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let (it) slip — to tell someone something that is secret by mistake

He let it slip that they intended to move to Canada.

She let slip something very interesting.

someone's mask/demeanour slips — if your mask or demeanour slips, people start to see what you are really thinking or feeling

"Of course," she said quickly, her professional mask never slipping.

Glyn's calm demeanour seemed to be slipping.

slip your mind/memory — if something slips your mind/memory, you forget to do it

How could she have let something so important slip her mind?

slip through the net/cracks — to fail to be caught or protected by the system that was intended to catch or protect you

A lot of poor people are slipping through the net because they don't know what they're entitled to.

- someone is slipping

- slip through your fingers

Phrasal verbs:

- slip away

- slip by

- slip in

- slip into

- slip off

- slip on

- slip out

- slip out of

- slip up

II UK [slɪp] / US noun
Word forms "slip":
singular slip plural slips
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1)

a) [countable] a small piece of paper, especially one used for notes

I left the message for you on a slip of paper.

b) a piece of paper used for a particular purpose

a voting slip

a betting slip

2) [countable] a slight mistake, especially a careless one

Tom played the piece well, despite a few slips at the beginning.

3) [countable] the action of sliding or falling

4) [countable] a small change from a higher level to a lower one

slip in:

a slip in the price of technology stocks

5) [countable] a piece of women's underwear consisting of a loose skirt or dress with no sleeves

6) [countable, usually plural] in the game of cricket, a place near the batsman where players stand when they are trying to catch the ball

7) [uncountable] liquid clay used in making pots

•

a slip of a boy/girl — informal old-fashioned a small thin boy/girl

- give someone the slip

- a slip of the pen

- a slip of the tongue