Dipping

Dip·ping

Dipping

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.]

Phrases & Compounds
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.