A small seed in fruit, or a small spot or mark, as on dice or playing cards. Can also refer to a short, high-pitched sound or signal.
From Middle Dutch 'pip' or Middle Low German 'pip,' originally referring to apple seeds. The meaning expanded to describe similar small, dot-like objects by the 16th century, including the spots on gaming pieces.
Pip is wonderfully onomatopoeic - the word itself sounds tiny and precise, just like the objects it describes. It's also a rare example where the same short word applies to seeds, dots, and sounds, showing how our brains connect small, discrete things across different senses.
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