trip Hear it!

trip definition

trip (trip)

intransitive verb tripped, tripping trip′·ping

  1. to walk, run, or dance with light, rapid steps; skip; caper
  2. to stumble, esp. by catching the foot
  3. to make a false step, inaccuracy, or mistake; err
  4. to falter in speaking
  5. to run past the pallet of the escapement without catching: said of a tooth of the escapement wheel of a watch
  6. Rare to take a trip; journey
  7. Slang to experience a trip ()

Etymology: ME trippen < OFr treper < Gmc *trippon (> OE treppan, to step): see trap

transitive verb

  1. to make stumble, esp. by catching the foot: sometimes with up
    1. to cause to make a false step or mistake
    2. to cause to fail or stop; obstruct
  2. to catch (a person) in a lie, error, etc.: often with up
    1. to release (a spring, wheel, or other mechanical part), as by the action of a detent
    2. to start or operate (a mechanism) by this
  3. Now Rare to perform (a dance) lightly and nimbly
  4. Naut.
    1. to raise (an anchor) clear of the bottom
    2. to tilt (a yard) into position for lowering
    3. to raise (an upper mast) so that the fid may be removed before lowering

noun

  1. a light, quick tread
    1. a traveling from one place to another; journey, esp. a short one; excursion, jaunt, etc.
    2. a going to a place and returning made three trips to the kitchen
    1. a stumble
    2. a maneuver for causing someone to stumble or fall, as by catching the foot
  2. a mistake; blunder
    1. any mechanical contrivance for tripping a part, as a pawl
    2. its action
  3. Slang
    1. an experience or period of euphoria, hallucinations, etc. induced by a psychedelic drug, esp. LSD
    2. an experience that is pleasing, exciting, unusual, etc.
    3. any activity, mode of conduct, state of mind, etc. a spiritual trip
trip Idioms

trip the light fantastic

to dance
TRIP definition

TRIP (trip)

adjective

designating or of any of several high-strength, highly ductile steel alloys containing chromium, molybdenum, nickel, and carbon

Etymology: tr(ansformation-)i(nduced) p(lasticity)

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.
Related Discussions (1)
TopicRepliesLatest Post
non-slang word for power trip175 years ago

Browse Forums