sip

Etymology

From Middle English sippen, of uncertain origin. Compare with Low German sippen (“to sip”). Possibly from a variant of Middle English suppen (“to drink, sip”) (see sup) or perhaps from Old English sipian, sypian (“to take in moisture, soak, macerate”), from Proto-Germanic *sipōną (“to drip, trickle”), from Proto-Indo-European *seyb- (“to pour out, trickle, leak out”). Compare also Old High German supfen (“to drink, sip”), from Proto-Germanic *sūpaną (“to sip, intake”).

noun

1. A small mouthful of drink

verb

1. (transitive) To drink slowly, small mouthfuls at a time.
   A waiter brought his aperitif, which was a small scotch and soda, and as he sipped it gratefully he sighed. 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 5, in The China Governess
   bright young things in jeans and T-shirts huddle around laptops, sipping lattes or munching on free food. 2013-08-03, “Revenge of the nerds”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8847
2. (intransitive) To drink a small quantity.
   [She] rais'd it to her mouth with sober grace; / Then, sipping, offered to the next in place.
3. To taste the liquor of; to drink out of.
   They skim the floods, and sip the purple flowers.
4. (Scotland, US, dated) Alternative form of seep
5. (figurative) To consume slowly.
   Sales of lightbulbs which sip electricity, and whose increased cost in the shops is easily paid for over their lifetime, used to double every year; in 1990/1991, they leapt sevenfold. 1995, Richard North, Life on a Modern Planet: A Manifesto for Progress, Manchester University Press, page 80
   It makes a small car, the Chevy Cobalt, which sips petrol in moderation and is therefore selling well. July 3 2008, “The presidential election: White men can vote”, in The Economist
   Even when turned off, these devices can idly sip electricity from your outlet costing you money. 2014 October 20, Erik Hyrkas, "Energy Vampires are Attacking Your Home – Here’s How to Stop Them" (Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy)