Definition of "hip" []

• The laterally projecting prominence of the pelvis or pelvic region from the waist to the thigh. (noun)
• A homologous posterior part in quadrupeds. (noun)
• The hip joint. (noun)
• Architecture The external angle formed by the meeting of two adjacent sloping sides of a roof. (noun)
• Slang Keenly aware of or knowledgeable about the latest trends or developments. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "During the jive era of the late 1930s and early 1940s, African-Americans began to use the term hip to mean "sophisticated, fashionable and fully up-to-date"."
• "‡ The term hip-hop also refers to the speech, fashions, and personal style adopted by many youths, particularly in urban areas."
• "Modern historians trace the term "hip" at least back to the Jazz Age."