hipped

Hipped is a term in English with two principal uses. First, it is the past participle of the verb hip, meaning to inform, alert, or acquaint someone with something. In this sense, to be hipped to something means to be aware of it or in the know. The usage is informal and reflects the slang origin of hip; examples include “The editor hipped the staff to the policy change” or “I was hipped to his scheme.”

Second, hipped describes a roof style in architecture. A hipped roof has sloping sides on all four edges, rather than ends that form gables. Each side of the roof meets at a hip, creating a compact, pyramid-like or truncated shape depending on the building’s footprint. The term is common in architectural descriptions and construction documentation.

Etymology and usage notes: the slang sense of hip originated in American English and spread to general usage in the 20th century, giving rise to the past participle hipped for the transitive verb form. The architectural sense is distinct and dates from earlier building terminology, describing a roof geometry rather than a social or communicative act. In modern writing, the two senses are usually clear from context, with the architectural meaning confined to technical or design discussions.