blip
Pronunciation: (blip), [key]
— n., v., blipped, blip•ping.
—n.
- Also called
- a spot of light on a radar screen indicating the position of a plane, submarine, or other object.
- (loosely) any small spot of light on a display screen.
- a brief upturn, as in revenue or income: The midwinter blip was no cause for optimism among store owners.
- anything small, as in amount or number: a blip of light; Those opposed were merely a blip in the opinion polls.
- bleep (def. 3).
- a nickel; five cents.
- a mark of synchronization on a sound track.
- a small or brief interruption, as in the continuity of a motion-picture film or the supply of light or electricity: There were blips in the TV film where the commercials had been edited out.
—v.i.
- to move or proceed in short, irregular, jerking movements: The stock market has blipped one point higher this week.
—v.t.
- bleep (def. 5).
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.