Pips

Pips is the plural form of pip and can refer to several different concepts across fields. The term is used in gaming, botany, finance, and computing to describe small marks, seeds, measurement units, and software tools, respectively. Context determines which meaning applies.

In games, pips are the small symbols that indicate value. On playing cards, pips are the suit-based marks that represent the card’s rank (for example, two pips on a two, nine pips on a nine). On dice, pips are the dots on each face; the number of pips corresponds to the face value of the die (one through six in standard dice).

In botany and everyday language, a pip is a seed inside a fruit. The term is common in British English and can describe seeds in citrus fruits, apples, grapes, and other produce. Pips are sometimes propagated to grow new plants, though many seeds require processing or stratification before germination.

In finance, PIPs (or pips) stand for percentage in point, a unit used to express changes in currency exchange rates. For most currency pairs, one pip equals 0.0001 of an exchange rate, while for pairs with the Japanese yen, one pip typically equals 0.01. Traders use pips to quantify small movements and to calculate gains or losses.

In computing, pip is the name of the Python package installer, used to install and manage software libraries. It is typically written in lowercase as pip, and is distinct from the figurative uses of pips in gaming, seeds, or finance.