dip into

dip into idiom
  1. Investigate superficially, as in He began to dip into Chaucer, or She's just dipping into psychology. This expression alludes to plunging briefly into a liquid. [Late 1600s]
  2. Withdraw something in small amounts, usually money, as in I'll have to dip into my savings. This usage employs dip into in the sense of plunging one's hand or a ladle into a pot, water, or the like for the purpose of taking something out. [Early 1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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