What is "dip of the horizon"

Horizon \Ho*ri"zon\, n. [F., fr. L. horizon, fr. Gr. ? (sc. ?) the bounding line, horizon, fr. ? to bound, fr. ? boundary, limit.]

1. The line which bounds that part of the earth's surface visible to a spectator from a given point; the apparent junction of the earth and sky.

   And when the morning sun shall raise his car Above the border of this horizon.
   --Shak.

   All the horizon round Invested with bright rays.
   --Milton.

2. (Astron.)

   1. A plane passing through the eye of the spectator and at right angles to the vertical at a given place; a plane tangent to the earth's surface at that place; called distinctively the sensible horizon.

   2. A plane parallel to the sensible horizon of a place, and passing through the earth's center; -- called also rational horizon or celestial horizon.

   3. (Naut.) The unbroken line separating sky and water, as seen by an eye at a given elevation, no land being visible.

3. (Geol.) The epoch or time during which a deposit was made.

   The strata all over the earth, which were formed at the same time, are said to belong to the same geological horizon.
   --Le Conte.

4. (Painting) The chief horizontal line in a picture of any sort, which determines in the picture the height of the eye of the spectator; in an extended landscape, the representation of the natural horizon corresponds with this line.

5. The limit of a person's range of perception, capabilities, or experience; as, children raised in the inner city have limited horizons.

6. [fig.] A boundary point or line, or a time point, beyond which new knowledge or experiences may be found; as, more powerful computers are just over the horizon.

   Apparent horizon. See under Apparent.

   Artificial horizon, a level mirror, as the surface of mercury in a shallow vessel, or a plane reflector adjusted to the true level artificially; -- used chiefly with the sextant for observing the double altitude of a celestial body.

   Celestial horizon. (Astron.) See def. 2, above.

   Dip of the horizon (Astron.), the vertical angle between the sensible horizon and a line to the visible horizon, the latter always being below the former.

   Rational horizon, and Sensible horizon. (Astron.) See def. 2, above.

   Visible horizon. See definitions 1 and 2, above.

Dip \Dip\, n.

1. The action of dipping or plunging for a moment into a liquid. ``The dip of oars in unison.''
   --Glover.

2. Inclination downward; direction below a horizontal line; slope; pitch.

3. a hollow or depression in a surface, especially in the ground.

4. A liquid, as a sauce or gravy, served at table with a ladle or spoon. [Local, U.S.]
   --Bartlett.

5. A dipped candle. [Colloq.]
   --Marryat.

6. A gymnastic exercise on the parallel bars in which the performer, resting on his hands, lets his arms bend and his body sink until his chin is level with the bars, and then raises himself by straightening his arms.

7. In the turpentine industry, the viscid exudation, which is dipped out from incisions in the trees; as, virgin dip (the runnings of the first year), yellow dip (the runnings of subsequent years).

8. (A["e]ronautics) A sudden drop followed by a climb, usually to avoid obstacles or as the result of getting into an airhole.

9. a liquid, in which objects are soaked by dipping; e.g., a parasiticide or insecticide solution into which animals are dipped (see sheep-dip).

10. a sauce into which foods are dipped to enhance the flavor; e. g., an onion dip made from sour cream and dried onions, into which potato chips are dipped.

11. a pickpocket. [slang]

    Dip of the horizon (Astron.), the angular depression of the seen or visible horizon below the true or natural horizon; the angle at the eye of an observer between a horizontal line and a tangent drawn from the eye to the surface of the ocean.

    Dip of the needle, or Magnetic dip, the angle formed, in a vertical plane, by a freely suspended magnetic needle, or the line of magnetic force, with a horizontal line; -- called also inclination.

    Dip of a stratum (Geol.), its greatest angle of inclination to the horizon, or that of a line perpendicular to its direction or strike; -- called also the pitch.