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kip 1 (kĭp)
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n. pl. kip
See Table at currency.

[Lao kiip, hoof, kip (because ingots of sycee cast in a shape resembling the hoof of a horse or water buffalo were widely used as currency throughout Asia until the early 20th century); akin to Thai kip, hoof.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
kip 2 (kĭp)
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n.
1. The untanned hide of a small or young animal, such as a calf.
2. A set or bundle of such hides.

[Middle English, bundle of animal hides, perhaps from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
kip 3 (kĭp) Chiefly British Slang
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n.
1. A rooming house.
2. A place to sleep; a bed.
3. Sleep.
intr.v. kipped, kip·ping, kips
To sleep.

[Perhaps from Danish kippe, cheap inn; akin to Old Norse -kippa (as in kornkippa, seed-corn holder) and Low German kiffe, hovel.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
kip 4 (kĭp)
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n.
A unit of weight equal to 1,000 pounds (455 kilograms).


The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
kip 5 (kĭp)
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n.
A maneuver in gymnastics, martial arts, and similar sports in which a person moves from lying on the back directly to a standing position by thrusting the legs upward and pushing off with hands placed palms-down near the ears. Also called kip-up.

[German Kippe, seesaw, arm of a balance, kip-up, from kippen, to tilt, tip over, from Low German Kippe, point, tip, from Latin cippus, post, pillar.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.