drip

play

verb \ ˈdrip \

Updated on: 26 Jul 2017

Definition of drip

dripped; dripping

transitive verb

1 :to let fall in drops

a brush dripping paint

2 :to let out or seem to spill copiously

her voice dripping sarcasm

trees dripping Spanish moss

intransitive verb

1 a :to let fall drops of moisture or liquid

wet clothes dripping onto the floor

b :to overflow with or as if with moisture

stories dripping with pop-culture references

toast dripping with butter

2 :to fall in or as if in drops

let the excess drip off

3 :to waft or pass gently

—

dripper

noun

See drip defined for English-language learners

See drip defined for kids

Examples of drip in a Sentence

Water dripped from a leak in the ceiling.
Blood dripped down his leg from the cut.
Hot wax dripped onto my fingers.
The pine trees dripped sap onto the cars.
The kids dripped water all over the house.

Recent Examples of drip from the Web

The walls and ceilings are dripping, and the super is on vacation this week.

— The Cut, "The Editor Who Keeps Getting Ghosted," 20 Aug. 2017
Another common mistake is sticking your brushes in a cup to dry, which causes the water to drip down into the base and onto the handle (again, water and wood don't mix well).

— brooke shunatona, Cosmopolitan, "4 Easy Steps for Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes That Every Lazy Girl Needs to Know," 18 Aug. 2017
To confirm that Bsal was a pathogen rather than a secondary infection, the duo took zoospores from a laboratory culture and dripped them onto the backs of healthy fire salamanders.

— erik stokstad, Science | AAAS, "A fungus is attacking Europe’s most beloved salamander. It could wreak havoc if it gets to North America," 19 July 2017
Onto the truck went the washer, the dryer and the deep freezer that dripped a trail of icy water.

— alden woods, azcentral, "'Here for the eviction': More renters forced from homes as affordable-housing crisis deepens," 16 July 2017
Photos show one car just dripping with the sticky substance.

— debbi baker, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Spilled load of slime eels creates sticky mess on Oregon highway," 14 July 2017
Not a subpoena - not yet - but a starring role in a full-blown lawsuit dripping with a heaping helping of take-that.

— matt scalici, AL.com, "Who can stop Alabama?," 12 July 2017
In walk-in cooler and walk-in freezer, condensation dripping over boxes of food.

— david j. neal, miamiherald, "The Roach Report shows five Miami-Dade restaurants shut down, 15 others cited," 6 July 2017
Like a dripping sponge, the air above Washington is saturated in moisture and, where and when it’s squeezed out, intense rainfall is possible Thursday.

— jason samenow, Washington Post, "Extreme moisture levels may support very heavy rain in D.C. area Thursday," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'drip.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of drip

Middle English drippen, from Old English dryppan; akin to Old English dropa drop

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

drip Synonyms

Synonyms

distill (also distil), dribble, drop, trickle

Related Words

drizzle, sprinkle; flow, pour, roll, run, stream; cascade, gutter, riffle, ripple; bleed, exude, ooze, seep, weep; discharge

Near Antonyms

gush, spout, spurt

drip

noun

Definition of drip

1 :a part of a cornice or other member that projects to throw off rainwater; also :an overlapping metal strip or an underneath groove for the same purpose

2 a :a falling in drops

b :liquid that falls, overflows, or is extruded in drops

a pan to catch drips

3 :the sound made by or as if by falling drops

4 :a device for the administration of a fluid at a slow rate especially into a vein; also :a material so administered

5 :a dull or unattractive person

See drip defined for English-language learners

Examples of drip in a Sentence

Drips of water fell from a leak in the ceiling.
We heard the drip of the rain.
the steady drip, drip, drip of the faucet
Water fell from the ceiling in a steady drip.
The doctor put the patient on a morphine drip to manage the pain.
Don't invite that drip to your party!

Recent Examples of drip from the Web

Place the chicken on the grill grate directly over the drip pan.

— for kroger, The Courier-Journal, "Having a Back Yard BBQ this Labor Day?," 28 Aug. 2017
Using two fingers on the cotton glove, dip into the herbicide and carefully wipe the blades of grass, avoiding any drips on adjacent garden plants.

— tim johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Has grass invaded your garden beds?," 7 Aug. 2017
There’s really no way to come out looking pristine after a brutal storm — rain drips into every possible crevice of clothing while the wind whips your hair and face into a mess.

— indya brown, The Cut, "These High-Fashion Anoraks Are Peak Gorpcore," 27 July 2017
Leave aside the fact that none of Europe’s recent emergencies has been properly fixed, from Greece’s economy, on an IV drip of endless bail-outs, to the migrants streaming across the Mediterranean.

— The Economist, "Emmanuel Macron is revitalising the European Union—and dividing it," 20 July 2017
The sense of entitlement drips from the worst of the characters, and even the best sometimes struggle to see beyond their own rights.

— david french, National Review, "A Game for Our Time," 16 July 2017
From afar, the colorful drips and dots create a delicate, living mural, a sly comment, perhaps, on what gets perceived as lovely, and why.

— jane yong kim, The Atlantic, "Anicka Yi’s Strangely Persuasive World of Smells," 25 June 2017
The Kyoto-style iced coffee is potent, and the siphon-filter drip bar makes for an impressive show.

— Los Angeles Magazine, "The 54 Best Things To Do in Downtown L.A. Right Now," 20 June 2017
Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip back into bag, and grill, turning every minute or so, until beginning to char in spots, 8–10 minutes total.

— Bon Appetit, "Chile-and-Yogurt-Marinated Grilled Chicken," 19 June 2017

First Known Use of drip

1664

drip Synonyms

Synonyms

bore, drag, droner, dullsville, nudnik (also nudnick), snooze, snoozer, yawn, yawner

Related Words

bummer, downer; bromide, pill

Near Antonyms

blast, gas [slang], kick, rush, upper

drip

adjective

Definition of drip

:of, relating to, or being coffee made by letting boiling water drip slowly through finely ground coffee

drip coffee

a drip pot

Recent Examples of drip from the Web

Slow down with drip coffee, Americanos, cappuccinos or lattes.

— katie toussaint, charlotteobserver, "Looking for a caffeine fix? Here are 8 Charlotte coffee shops you need to try," 16 Aug. 2017
Started in 2003 in San Francisco’s Mission District by grocer Phil Jaber, Philz quickly developed a cult following for drip coffee prepared to individual order, pour-over style.

— carla meyer, sacbee, "Bay-Area favorite Philz Coffee to open Sacramento location this week," 18 July 2017

First Known Use of drip

1895

DRIP

abbreviation

Definition of DRIP

dividend reinvestment plan

Financial Definition of DRIP

drip

abbreviation

What It Is

A dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP) is an arrangement offered by companies to investors wishing to receive additional shares of company stock in lieu of cash dividend payments.

How It Works

In many cases, optimistic investors prefer to gain additional equity in a company rather than receive the cash dividends related to their holdings. A dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP or DRP) provides investors with a system of recurring dividend reinvestments. In other words, rather than receiving cash from a declared dividend, participating investors receive shares and fractional shares of company stock of equivalent value.

To illustrate, suppose company XYZ's stock is valued at $10 per share. XYZ declares a dividend of one dollar per share. A DRIP participant holding 100 shares will receive 10 shares of company stock [(100 shares x $1 per share) / $10 per share = 10 shares]. In most cases, these shares are discounted and free of brokerage charges.

Why It Matters

A dividend reinvestment plan gives participating investors increasing equity in the issuing company with each declared dividend. Depending on the market price of the stock, participants run the risk of forcibly receiving shares at a higher price than they might otherwise be willing to pay.

Source: Investing Answers

DRIP Defined for English Language Learners

drip

play

verb

Definition of drip for English Language Learners

: to fall in drops
: to let drops of (a liquid) fall
: to have or show a large amount of something

drip

noun

Definition of drip for English Language Learners

: a drop of liquid that falls from something
: the sound of liquid falling in drops
: the act or action of falling in drops

DRIP Defined for Kids

drip

play

verb \ ˈdrip \

Definition of drip for Students

dripped; dripping

1 :to fall in drops

Sap dripped from the trees.

2 :to let fall drops of liquid

My wet clothes dripped on the floor.

3 :to have or show a large amount of something

The popcorn was dripping with butter.

Her voice dripped with spite.

drip

noun

Definition of drip for Students

1 :the act of falling in drops

The barrel caught the drip of rain from the roof.

2 :a drop of liquid that falls

a drip of paint

3 :the sound made by falling drops

Medical Dictionary

drip

play

verb \ ˈdrip \

medical Definition of drip

dripped; dripping

transitive verb

:to let fall in drops

intransitive verb

1 :to let fall drops of moisture or liquid

2 :to fall in drops

drip

noun

medical Definition of drip

1 a :a falling in drops — see postnasal drip

b :liquid that falls, overflows, or is extruded in drops

2 :a device for the administration of a fluid at a slow rate especially into a vein

was hooked up to an intravenous drip

; also :a material so administered

a glucose drip

— see gravity drip

Learn More about drip

See words that rhyme with drip Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for drip Spanish Central: Translation of drip Nglish: Translation of drip for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of drip for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about drip

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drip

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dripper

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drip

Definition of drip

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drip Synonyms

Synonyms

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Near Antonyms

drip

Definition of drip

Recent Examples of drip from the Web

First Known Use of drip

DRIP

Definition of DRIP

Financial Definition of DRIP

What It Is

How It Works

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DRIP Defined for English Language Learners

drip

Definition of drip for English Language Learners

drip

Definition of drip for English Language Learners

DRIP Defined for Kids

drip

Definition of drip for Students

drip

Definition of drip for Students

Medical Dictionary

drip

medical Definition of drip

drip

medical Definition of drip

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