hip
UK[hɪp]US[hɪp]
n
The part of the body at the top of the leg, below the waist, where the leg bone joins the pelvis.
n
(informal) The area around the hip joint, or the joint itself.
adj
(slang) Fashionable and aware of the latest trends.
Etymology
The word 'hip' descends directly from the Old English hype, a term for the hip joint or the projecting part of the body. It is part of a deep Germanic family, related to Old High German huf and Dutch heup. While its ultimate Proto-Indo-European origin is uncertain, it has remained remarkably stable in form and core anatomical meaning for over a millennium. The modern slang sense of being fashionable, emerging in the early 20th century, is believed to derive from the earlier African-American Vernacular English term hep (aware, informed), which was later altered to 'hip'.
Analysis
This is a simplex word of Germanic origin. The Old English form was hype, which functioned as a noun referring to the hip or haunch.
Examples
She fell and bruised her hip.
He stood with his hands on his hips.
That new cafe is the hippest place in town.