pip

This is a surprisingly versatile little word. Most often, it means a tiny mark, like the symbols on playing cards or the dots on dice. It is also the name for the small seeds inside fruits like apples, oranges, and grapes. It can also mean a short, high sound, such as a radio time signal or a quick electronic beep. In a military setting, especially in British usage, it can mean a small rank badge worn by an officer. In British English, if someone is "pipped at the post," they are beaten by a very small amount at the last moment.

The word "pip" carries a surprising amount of meaning in just three letters. At its most basic, it can mean a small spot or mark. On playing cards, it refers to the symbols that show value, and on dice it means the little dots. It is also a common word for the small, hard seeds found inside many fruits, so you might remove the pips before making applesauce.

But it is not limited to things you can see. It can also describe a short, sharp sound, like a quick electronic beep or the "pips" used by the BBC to mark the top of the hour. In the natural world, a baby chick can also "pip" when it first cracks a small hole in its shell during hatching.

The word has some specialized meanings too. In the military, especially in the UK and Commonwealth, a "pip" is a small star-shaped badge of rank worn on the shoulder. In finance, a "pip" stands for "percentage in point" and means the smallest standard price move in an exchange rate.

There are also a few older or less common uses. You might hear someone called "a real pip" in old-fashioned slang, meaning an unusual or remarkable person, sometimes in a good way and sometimes with irony. And if you are "pipped" in a race or contest, you lose by a very small margin right at the end. Whether it points to a tiny mark, a fruit seed, a quick sound, or a narrow defeat, this word usually suggests something small but noticeable.