slip

A slip can mean that you lose your footing for a moment, like when you slip on ice or on a wet floor. It can also mean a small mistake, as in a "slip of the tongue" or "a slip of the pen." Sometimes it means that something is said or revealed by accident, as when a secret slips out.

As a noun, it can also mean a small piece of paper, such as a bank slip or a packing slip. In clothing, a slip is a light underdress worn under another dress. You may also hear it in phrases like "slip into a habit" or "let your grades slip," where the idea is a quiet change that happens little by little.

The word "slip" has several common meanings, and they are linked by the idea of something moving, changing, or happening with little control. In its most familiar sense, to slip means to slide by accident or lose your footing for a moment. You might slip on ice, slip on a wet floor, or slip down a muddy path. In this use, the movement is usually quick and unplanned.

"Slip" also often refers to a small mistake. A "slip of the tongue" is when you say the wrong thing by accident, and a "slip of the pen" is a small writing mistake. In a similar way, if a secret slips out, it is revealed without meaning to. The phrasal verb slip up also means to make a mistake, usually a minor one.

As a noun, "slip" can name a few everyday things. It can mean a small piece of paper, such as a deposit slip, sales slip, or packing slip. It can also mean a woman's light underdress worn beneath a dress or skirt. These are standard, practical uses of the word, even though they are different from the verb sense.

The word is also used for quiet or gradual change. You can slip into sleep, slip into a habit, or slip away without being noticed. Your grades, standards, or attention can also slip, meaning they slowly get worse or weaker. So whether it describes losing balance, making a small mistake, revealing something by accident, or referring to a small paper form or a piece of clothing, "slip" is a flexible word that often carries the feeling of something slight, gradual, or hard to notice.