Home › Glossary › Letter S

slip

Apparel
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A lightweight, sleeveless undergarment shaped like a simple dress, worn beneath a sheer or fitted outer garment, appearing in modern poetry as a symbol of intimacy, simplicity, and the female body.

Detailed Definition
The slip entered common usage in the early 20th century as a streamlined replacement for combinations and petticoats, and its appearance in poetry often carries a distinctly modern, sensual charge. Its thin straps and smooth, clinging fabric outline the figure without the rigidity of a corset, making it a garment of comfort and unguarded selfhood. Poets use the slip in scenes of morning or bedtime, where the speaker is alone or with a lover, and its white or pale color evokes vulnerability and honesty. In feminist verse, the slip can represent the stripping away of societal expectations, leaving only the essential self. Its simplicity also allows it to function as a blank canvas for memory or desire, and its easy removal or donning makes it a natural prop for poems about transition and transformation.
Example
Example in poetry:
"Her slip of silk was a whisper under the linen of her dress"; "He saw the slip's strap and felt the intimacy of the ordinary"; "The slip's lace was a secret she wore for no one"; "She stepped out of her slip and into the night's last dream"; "The slip, white as a flag, was her surrender to the day"; "He folded her slip and placed it in the drawer, a ritual of care"
Additional Notes
The slip entered common usage in the early 20th century as a streamlined replacement for combinations and petticoats, and its appearance in poetry often carries a distinctly modern, sensual charge. Its thin straps and smooth, clinging fabric outline the figure without the rigidity of a corset, making it a garment of comfort and unguarded selfhood. Poets use the slip in scenes of morning or bedtime, where the speaker is alone or with a lover, and its white or pale color evokes vulnerability and honesty. In feminist verse, the slip can represent the stripping away of societal expectations, leaving only the essential self. Its simplicity also allows it to function as a blank canvas for memory or desire. Related terms include chemise, camisole, and petticoat. Students should note the slip's associations with intimacy, modernity, and the unadorned self.
Also Known As
underslip petticoat layer foundation garment
Skip to main content