n.
- A spot of light on a radar or sonar screen indicating the position of a detected object, such as an aircraft or a submarine. Also called pip.
- A high-pitched electronic sound; a bleep.
- A transient sharp upward or downward movement, as on a graph.
- A temporary or insignificant phenomenon, especially a brief departure from the normal: "The decline in the share of GNP going to health . . . appears to be a one-time blip in the historic trend rather than the start of a new trend" (Atlantic).
To bleep.
[Imitative.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
