blip

1 of 2

noun

1
: a trace on a display screen (such as an oscilloscope)
especially : a spot on a radar screen
2
: a short crisp sound
3
: an interruption of the sound received in a radio or television program or occurring in a recording as a result of blipping
4
: a transient sharp movement up or down (as of a quantity commonly shown on a graph)
5
: something relatively small or inconsequential within a larger context
made only a blip on the political scene

blip

2 of 2

verb

blipped; blipping

transitive verb

: to remove (recorded sound) from a recording so that there is an interruption of the sound in the reproduction
a censor blipped the swear words

Examples of blip in a Sentence

Noun The approaching ship appeared as a blip on the screen. the blips, buzzes, and bleeps of a video game The company's financial problems were just a temporary blip.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The rocks in the Grand Canyon span from 270 million to 1.8 billion years old, a stunning backdrop against which human existence is but a mere blip. Lane Sainty, The Arizona Republic, 3 Nov. 2024 Previously tied with springtime, which has in recent years been reduced to a week-long-if-you’re-lucky, blink-and-you’ll miss it blip in the transition from winter to summer, fall (as in, the months of October and November) remains the most pleasant season in which to stay a while in New York City. Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
Back to the Carrera T, and the latest 911 is fitted as standard with rear-wheel steering – this was an option on the previous T – along with a sports exhaust and a rev-matching function that blips the engine between downshifts. Alistair Charlton, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024 Watching them blip along to the music is a fun retro touch. Chris Haslam, WIRED, 9 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for blip 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

imitative

First Known Use

Noun

1945, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1968, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of blip was in 1945

Dictionary Entries Near blip

Cite this Entry

“Blip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blip. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

blip

noun
ˈblip
: a spot on a screen
a radar blip

More from Merriam-Webster on blip

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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