dipping
dipping — 動詞
1. Briefly putting something into water or another liquid so that it becomes wet, c
沾；浸
短暫放入液體中沾濕或上色
Briefly putting something into water or another liquid so that it becomes wet, coated, or coloured before being taken out again.
Owen was dipping warm bread into the bowl of olive oil at dinner.
Owen 晚餐時把溫熱的麵包沾進那碗橄欖油裡。
dip + object + into + liquid
The chocolatier kept dipping strawberries in melted dark chocolate.
巧克力師傅不停地把草莓浸入融化的黑巧克力中。
collocation: dipping [food] in [coating]
Tendai stood at the river, dipping her bare feet into the cool water.
Tendai 站在河邊，把赤腳浸進涼涼的水裡。
The painter was dipping the brush into the small jar of yellow paint.
畫家把畫筆沾進那小罐黃色顏料中。
文法句型
dip + [object] + into/in + [liquid]
用法筆記
Object is normally something small and movable (food, brush, hand, foot); the liquid is often introduced with 'into' or 'in'.
常見錯誤
2. Putting a farm animal briefly into a tank of chemical liquid to kill insects or
藥浴；浸藥
把牲畜短暫浸入藥水殺蟲
Putting a farm animal briefly into a tank of chemical liquid to kill insects or parasites on its skin.
The farmers spent the morning dipping their sheep against tick infestations.
農夫們花了一整個早上幫羊隻藥浴，預防壁蝨感染。
transitive: dipping [livestock]
Christopher had finished dipping the last of the lambs against fly strike by sunset.
Christopher 在日落前替最後幾隻小羊完成了預防蠅蛆病的藥浴。
Local vets demonstrated the safe way of dipping dogs to treat skin mites.
當地獸醫示範了如何安全地幫狗藥浴以治療皮膚蟎蟲。
Without proper dipping each spring, the shepherd's flock would lose wool to parasites.
若沒有每年春天的定期藥浴，牧羊人的羊群會因寄生蟲掉毛。
- treat
broader; covers any medical treatment, not just chemical baths
文法句型
dip + [animal] (+ in/for + [purpose])
用法筆記
Subject is usually a farmer, vet, or shepherd; object is livestock (sheep, cattle) or sometimes pets. Distinguish from sense 1: the liquid here is a medicated bath, not food coating.
3. Going briefly to a lower position or value, often before rising again, as with p
下滑；微降
短暫地下降到較低水準
Going briefly to a lower position or value, often before rising again, as with prices, levels, or moving objects.
House prices were dipping slightly across most regions of the country.
全國大多數地區的房價正在微微下滑。
subject is an abstract measure (prices, levels)
The kite kept dipping toward the rooftops every time the wind dropped.
每當風一停，風箏就一直往屋頂方向下滑。
Pim watched the small boat dipping behind the waves and then rising again.
Pim 看著那艘小船在浪後下沉，又再次浮起。
Sales were dipping for a few weeks before bouncing back at Christmas.
銷售額下滑了幾週，後來在聖誕節又回升。
文法句型
[subject] + be dipping (+ to/below + [level])
用法筆記
Often used for movements that are temporary; pair with words like 'slightly', 'briefly', or 'before recovering' to mark the short, partial fall.
4. Switching a car's front lights from a high beam to a lower one so they do not da
切近燈
把車頭燈切到近光不刺眼
Switching a car's front lights from a high beam to a lower one so they do not dazzle other drivers.
Eli was dipping his headlights every time a car came toward him on the country lane.
每次有車從鄉間小路對面開來，Eli 都把頭燈切成近光。
transitive: dipping + headlights
The driving instructor told Saira to start dipping the beam as soon as another car appeared.
駕訓班教練要 Saira 一看到對向來車就把燈光切成近光。
Emre was dipping his lights as the lorry came over the hill.
卡車翻過山頭時，Emre 把燈光切成近光。
On dark country roads, tired drivers often forget about dipping their headlights for oncoming traffic.
在黑暗的鄉間道路上，疲倦的駕駛常常忘記為對向來車把頭燈切成近光。
- dim
standard American equivalent
文法句型
dip + [headlights/beam]
用法筆記
Mainly British English; American drivers usually say 'dim the lights' or 'switch to low beam'. Object is almost always 'headlights', 'lights', or 'beam'.
5. Taking only a small portion from a store of money or supplies, usually because t
動用；提取
從存款或儲備中少量取用
Taking only a small portion from a store of money or supplies, usually because the rest must be saved for something else.
Luca was dipping into his savings just to keep paying the rent.
Luca 為了繼續付房租，只能動用自己的存款。
dipping into + [savings/funds]
The charity hated dipping into its emergency fund for routine expenses.
這個慈善機構很不願意動用緊急基金來支付日常開銷。
Sahil avoided dipping into his pension until he turned sixty-five.
Sahil 在六十五歲之前都避免動用自己的退休金。
We were dipping into the office snacks long before the meeting started.
會議還沒開始，我們就已經在偷吃辦公室的零食了。
文法句型
dip + into + [savings/funds/supplies]
用法筆記
Almost always paired with 'into'. Object is a finite reserve (savings, fund, supplies, pocket) — distinguish from sense 1 where the object is plunged into a liquid.
常見錯誤
dipping — 名詞
1. A thick cold sauce that people put on small pieces of food, like vegetables or c
沾醬
用來沾食小份食物的濃稠冷醬
A thick cold sauce that people put on small pieces of food, like vegetables or chips, by dipping the food into it.
Vinícius made a creamy avocado dip for the party on Saturday night.
Vinícius 為週六晚上的派對做了奶香酪梨沾醬。
a + [adjective] + dip for [occasion]
Yan brought tortilla chips and a small bowl of spicy tomato dip.
Yan 帶了玉米脆片和一小碗辣番茄沾醬。
collocation: chips and dip
The supermarket sells onion dip in plastic tubs near the cheese counter.
超市在乳酪櫃旁的塑膠盒裡賣洋蔥沾醬。
Carrot sticks taste much better with a creamy garlic dip on the side.
胡蘿蔔棒配上奶香大蒜沾醬，吃起來好得多。
- sauce
broader; many sauces are poured or served warm, while dips are usually cold and thicker
文法句型
a/the + dip
[noun] + dip (sour-cream dip, onion dip)
用法筆記
Usually countable; modifiers describe the main ingredient or flavour (sour-cream dip, hummus dip, chilli dip). Often appears in the fixed pair 'chips and dip'.
2. A short, casual swim, usually for fun rather than exercise.
快泡一下
短暫輕鬆的玩水或游泳
A short, casual swim, usually for fun rather than exercise.
Élise fancied a quick dip in the sea before breakfast.
Élise 想在早餐前到海裡快泡一下。
collocation: go for / fancy / take + a dip
The children begged for a dip in the hotel pool after the long drive.
長途車程之後，孩子們吵著要去飯店泳池泡一下。
Jin took an early-morning dip in the cold lake to wake himself up.
Jin 一早到冷冷的湖裡泡一下讓自己清醒。
On hot summer evenings, the family always enjoyed a dip in the river.
炎熱的夏夜，這家人總愛到河裡泡一下。
文法句型
a + dip
go for / take a dip
用法筆記
Informal; almost always preceded by 'a' or 'the'. Typical verbs: 'take', 'go for', 'have', 'fancy'. Suggests something short and refreshing rather than serious swimming.
3. A liquid mixture used for cleaning, treating, or protecting things by putting th
藥水；浸劑
用來短暫浸泡清潔的特殊液體
A liquid mixture used for cleaning, treating, or protecting things by putting them into it for a short time.
Takeshi prepared a special dip to clean the silver coins gently.
Takeshi 調了一種特別的藥水，可以溫和地清潔銀幣。
noun: a + [purpose] + dip
The shepherd refilled the sheep dip with fresh chemicals every spring.
牧羊人每年春天都會替羊用藥水池換上新的化學藥劑。
compound: sheep dip
Most jewellers keep a small bowl of cleaning dip behind the counter.
大多數珠寶商會在櫃台後放一小碗清潔藥水。
Carpenters often use a wood dip to protect fence posts from moisture.
木工常用木材防護藥水替柵欄樁防潮。
文法句型
[noun modifier] + dip (sheep dip, wood dip)
用法筆記
Often appears as a compound: 'sheep dip', 'wood dip', 'silver dip'. The modifier names what the dip is used on or for.
4. A part of a surface, road, or graph that goes down lower than the area around it
凹陷；下滑
比周圍低的地方或短暫下跌
A part of a surface, road, or graph that goes down lower than the area around it, or a short fall in an amount.
Brian noticed a wide dip in the road just past the old stone bridge.
Brian 注意到舊石橋過去那段路上有個寬寬的凹陷。
dip + in + [surface]
The graph showed a sharp dip in profits during the autumn months.
圖表顯示秋季幾個月利潤出現明顯下滑。
dip + in + [quantity] (sales, profits, levels)
There is a small dip in the lawn where the children buried their toys.
草坪上有個小凹陷，是孩子們埋玩具的地方。
Visitors slow down at the dip near the foot of the mountain path.
遊客行經山腳附近的凹陷路段時都會減速。
文法句型
a dip + in + [surface/quantity]
用法筆記
Two related uses: a physical hollow ('a dip in the road') and a temporary fall in numbers ('a dip in sales'). Both are usually small and short-lived.
5. A single act of putting something into a liquid for a very short time.
蘸一下
把東西短暫浸入液體的一次動作
A single act of putting something into a liquid for a very short time.
Each strawberry got a quick dip in melted chocolate and was then chilled.
每顆草莓在融化巧克力中蘸一下，接著就拿去冰。
noun: a + [adjective] + dip in [liquid]
Mateo gave the brush a careful dip in the small jar of varnish.
Mateo 把刷子小心地在那小罐清漆裡蘸了一下。
One dip in the warm wax was enough to coat the candle wick.
把蠟燭芯在溫熱的蠟裡蘸一下，就足以裹上一層蠟。
The doughnuts were finished with a final dip in cinnamon sugar before serving.
甜甜圈端上桌前，會在肉桂糖裡再蘸一下做最後修飾。
- immersion
more formal; can be longer and fuller than a dip
文法句型
a + dip + (in / into) + [liquid]
用法筆記
Almost always preceded by 'a'. Distinguish from sense 4: this is a single action with a liquid; sense 4 is a shape or downward movement.
6. A short period spent thinking about or reading something, without going into muc
略讀；涉獵
對某主題短暫輕鬆的接觸
A short period spent thinking about or reading something, without going into much detail.
Andrei enjoyed a quick dip into Spanish history during the long train ride.
Andrei 在長途火車上輕鬆涉獵了一下西班牙歷史。
dip into + [topic/book]
Sunday mornings were just a relaxed dip into the weekend newspaper.
週日早晨只是輕鬆翻一下週末報紙。
After dinner, the professor would take a short dip into old physics journals.
晚餐後，這位教授會短暫地涉獵舊的物理期刊。
Even a five-minute dip into the chapter helps before the morning exam.
早上考試前，就算只略讀那一章五分鐘也有幫助。
文法句型
a + dip + into + [subject/book]
用法筆記
Usually appears with 'into' and a topic, book, or field. Suggests light, casual engagement rather than deep study.
7. In physics, the angle between a freely moving compass needle and the flat surfac
磁傾角
羅盤指針與地面之間的夾角
In physics, the angle between a freely moving compass needle and the flat surface of the ground.
Owen measured the dip of the compass needle during the geography field trip.
Owen 在地理戶外教學時測量了羅盤指針的磁傾角。
domain: physics; dip + of + [needle]
Kemi noticed the local magnetic dip changed as her ship sailed north from the equator.
Kemi 注意到，船從赤道往北航行時，當地的磁傾角會跟著改變。
Early sailors used the dip of a needle to estimate their latitude at sea.
早期水手利用指針的磁傾角來估算自己在海上的緯度。
Hiro showed his students how to plot the dip beside the magnetic field lines on the blackboard.
Hiro 在黑板上示範如何把磁傾角畫在磁力線旁邊給學生看。
- magnetic inclination
exact technical synonym; more common in academic writing
文法句型
the dip + of + [compass needle]
用法筆記
Specialist physics term; learners only meet it in geography or physics lessons. Distinguish from sense 4: that is a general fall or hollow, this is a measured angle.
8. A criminal who steals small things from people's pockets or bags in crowded publ
扒手
在人群中竊取財物的小偷
A criminal who steals small things from people's pockets or bags in crowded public places.
Tourist police warned visitors about dips working the busy train station.
觀光警察提醒遊客小心在繁忙火車站作案的扒手。
informal noun: dips (pickpockets)
Christopher learned that a skilled dip could empty a wallet in seconds.
Christopher 得知厲害的扒手能在幾秒鐘內掏空一個錢包。
Two dips were arrested at the football match after a stewards' tip-off.
在保全人員通報後，足球比賽現場逮到兩名扒手。
Old detective novels often feature a dip who works the morning rush hour.
老式偵探小說常出現一個在早晨尖峰時段作案的扒手。
- pickpocket
standard modern term; neutral register
文法句型
a + dip
用法筆記
Informal slang, mainly in older British crime writing; modern speakers usually say 'pickpocket'. Often appears in the plural.