\Dip"ping\, n.
1. The act or process of immersing.
2. The act of inclining downward.
3. The act of lifting or moving a liquid with a dipper,
   ladle, or the like.
4. The process of cleaning or brightening sheet metal or
   metalware, esp. brass, by dipping it in acids, etc.
5. The practice of taking snuff by rubbing the teeth or gums
   with a stick or brush dipped in snuff. [U.S.]
{Dipping needle}, a magnetic needle suspended at its center
   of gravity, and moving freely in a vertical plane, so as
   to indicate on a graduated circle the magnetic dip or
   inclination.