Word: trip Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From Middle English trippen (“tread or step lightly and nimbly, skip, dance”), perhaps from Old French triper (“to hop or dance around, strike with the feet”), from a Frankish source; or alternatively from Middle Dutch trippen (“to skip, trip, hop, stamp, trample”) (> Modern Dutch trippelen (“to toddle, patter, trip”)). Akin to Middle Low German trippen ( > Danish trippe (“to trip”), Swedish trippa (“to mince, trip”)), West Frisian tripje (“to toddle, trip”), German trippeln (“to scurry”), Old English treppan (“to trample, tread”). Related also to trap, tramp. Pronunciation: /tɹɪp/, [tʰɹɪp], [t͡ʃɹɪp], /tɹəp/, [tʰɹəp] 1. To fall over or stumble over an object as a result of striking it with one's foot Labels: intransitive Example: Be careful not to trip on those tree roots. You tripped over the cat and fell downstairs just last week. 2. To cause (a person or animal) to fall or stumble by knocking their feet from under them. Labels: sometimes, transitive Example: A pedestrian was able to trip the burglar as he was running away. Example: Early in his boyhood he had learned to form ropes by twisting and tying long grasses together, and with these he was forever tripping Tublat or attempting to hang him from some overhanging branch. 3. To be guilty of a misstep or mistake; to commit an offence against morality, propriety, etc Labels: intransitive Example: And the Pharasay / Then durst nothynge say, / But let the matter slyp, / And made truth to tryp; Example: [T]ill his Tongue trips 4. To detect in a misstep; to catch; to convict. Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: These her women can trip me if I err. 5. To activate or set in motion, as in the activation of a trap, explosive, or switch. Labels: transitive Example: When we get into the factory, trip the lights. 6. To be activated, as by a signal or an event Labels: intransitive Example: The alarm system tripped, throwing everyone into a panic. 7. Of an electrical circuit, to trip out (through overload, a short circuit). Example: From the evidence of witnesses and of the recorded passing times, including the time at which the circuit breakers were tripped when the wires were brought down, the train was travelling at a speed of not less than 70 m.p.h. Example: The 25kV had repeatedly tripped and the two had split from a larger group to operate an overhead line isolating switch. 8. To experience a state of reverie or to hallucinate, due to consuming psychoactive drugs. Labels: intransitive Example: After taking the LSD, I started tripping about fairies and colors. Example: So, I went to the doctor, see what he could give me / He said, "Son, son, you've gone too far / 'Cause smokin' and trippin’ is all that you do," / Yeeeeeeaaaaaah 9. To journey, to make a trip. Labels: intransitive Example: Last summer, we tripped to the coast. 10. To move with light, quick steps; to walk or move lightly; to skip. Labels: dated, intransitive Example: Come, and trip it, as ye go, / On the light fantastic toe. Example: She bounded by, and tripped so light / They had not time to take a steady sight. 11. To raise (an anchor) from the bottom, by its cable or buoy rope, so that it hangs free. 12. To pull (a yard) into a perpendicular position for lowering it. 13. To become unreasonably upset, especially over something unimportant; to cause a scene or a disruption. Labels: slang Example: If she ain't with it, I find another little chick / I'm quick to switch, even when I was six / I had a backup bitch, when my bitch would trip / I'd go play with my other girlfriend and get me a kiss / And at the age of thirty-six I'm to the same old tricks 14. To become unreasonably upset, especially over something unimportant; to cause a scene or a disruption. Labels: slang