kip

The kip is the official currency of Laos, like the dollar in the United States or the euro in many parts of Europe. In British English, "kip" is also an informal word for sleep or a short nap. In more special uses, a kip can mean a unit of force equal to 1,000 pounds, a stick used to toss coins in the Australian game of two-up, or the hide of a young animal. So you might pay in kip in Vientiane, kip for a few minutes after lunch, or see the word in engineering or older trade use.

The word kip has several meanings that stretch from Southeast Asian markets to British bedrooms. Most commonly, it is the official currency of Laos. When traveling through the country, you will use kip to pay for daily things like food, transport, and market goods. This meaning comes from Laos and is separate from the other English uses of the word.

In British English, kip is a common informal term for sleep. You might say, "I'm going to kip for 20 minutes before we leave," if you want a quick nap, or say that you had a "good night's kip." It is casual and friendly, and it often suggests rest in an ordinary, everyday way rather than anything formal.

Beyond money and sleep, kip also has specialized technical and historical uses. In engineering, a kip is a unit of force equal to 1,000 pounds. In Australia, it can mean the small stick used to toss coins into the air in the game of two-up. In the leather trade, a kip is the hide of a young animal, especially a young cow.

So, whether you are changing money in Vientiane, taking a quick rest in London, or reading an engineering text, kip is a small word with a wide range of meanings.