slipping

Webster's Dictionary (1913)

“slipping” is listed under Slip.

Origin: OE. slippen; akin to LG. & D. slippen, MHG. slipfen (cf. Dan. slippe, Sw. slippa, Icel. sleppa), and fr. OE. slipen, AS. slīpan (in comp.), akin to G. schleifen to slide, glide, drag, whet, OHG. slīfan to slide, glide, make smooth, Icel. slīpa to whet; cf. also AS. sl…pan, Goth. sliupan, OS. slopian, OHG. sliofan, G. schliefen, schl…pfen, which seem to come from a somewhat different root form. Cf. Slope, noun

1. To move along the surface of a thing without bounding, rolling, or stepping; to slide; to glide.

2. To slide; to lose one's footing or one's hold; not to tread firmly; as, it is necessary to walk carefully lest the foot should slip.

3. To move or fly (out of place); to shoot; — often with out, off, etc.; as, a bone may slip out of its place.

4. To depart, withdraw, enter, appear, intrude, or escape as if by sliding; to go or come in a quiet, furtive manner; as, some errors slipped into the work.

Thus one tradesman slips away, To give his partner fairer play.— Matthew Prior

Thrice the flitting shadow slipped away.— John Dryden

5. To err; to fall into error or fault.

There is one that slippeth in his speech, but not from his heart.— Ecclus. xix. 16.

To let slip, to loose from the slip or noose, as a hound; to allow to escape.

Cry, “Havoc,” and let slip the dogs of war.— William Shakespeare

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54