clip

¹ American  

[klip] / klɪp /

verb (used with object)

clipped, clipped clipt, clipping

1. to cut, or cut off or out, as with shears.

   to clip a rose from a bush.

2. to trim by cutting.

   to clip a hedge.

3. to cut or trim the hair or fleece of; shear.

   to clip a poodle.

4. to pare the edge of (a coin).

5. to cut short; curtail.

   We clipped our visit by a week to return home earlier.

6. to pronounce rapidly, with precise articulation and with omission of certain sounds, as of unstressed vowels.

   an annoying habit of clipping his words.

7. to shorten (a word or phrase) by dropping one or more syllables.

8. Informal.  to hit with a quick, sharp blow.

   He clipped him on the jaw with a sudden punch.

9. Slang.  to take or get money from by dishonest means; swindle; rook.

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verb (used without object)

clipped, clipped clipt, clipping

1. to clip or cut something.

2. to cut articles or pictures from a newspaper, magazine, etc.

3. to move swiftly.

   He clipped along the highway on his motorcycle.

4. Archaic.  to fly rapidly.

noun

1. the act of clipping.

2. anything clipped off, especially the wool shorn at a single shearing of sheep.

3. the amount of wool shorn in one season.

4. (used with a plural verb)  clips, an instrument for clipping; shears.

5. film clip.

6. Informal.  clipping.

7. Informal.  a quick, sharp blow.

   a clip on the jaw.

8. rate; pace.

   at a rapid clip.

clip ² American  

[klip] / klɪp /

noun

1. a device that grips and holds tightly.

2. a metal or plastic clasp for holding together papers, letters, etc.

3. cartridge clip.

4. an article of jewelry or other decoration clipped onto clothing, shoes, hats, etc.

5. a flange on the upper surface of a horseshoe.

6. Also called lug.  Shipbuilding.  a short length of angle iron connecting and maintaining the angle between two members or surfaces.

7. Archaic.  an embrace.

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verb (used with or without object)

clipped, clipping

1. to grip tightly; fasten with or as if with a clip.

2. to encircle; encompass.

3. Football.  to block by illegally throwing the body across a player's legs from behind.

4. Archaic.  to embrace or hug.

clip ¹ British  

/ klɪp /

verb

1. (also intr) to cut, snip, or trim with or as if with scissors or shears, esp in order to shorten or remove a part

2. to punch (a hole) in something, esp a ticket

3. to curtail or cut short

4. to move a short section from (a film, etc)

5. to shorten (a word)

6. (intr) to trot or move rapidly, esp over a long distance

   a horse clipping along the road

7. informal  to strike with a sharp, often slanting, blow

8. slang  to obtain (money) by deception or cheating

9. slang  to murder; execute

10. 1. to restrict someone's freedom

    2. to thwart someone's ambition

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noun

1. the act or process of clipping

2. something clipped off

3. an extract from a film, newspaper, etc

4. informal  a sharp, often slanting, blow

5. informal  speed

   a rapid clip

6. the total quantity of wool shorn, as in one place, season, etc

7. another word for clipped form

clip ² British  

/ klɪp /

noun

1. any of various small implements used to hold loose articles together or to attach one article to another

2. an article of jewellery that can be clipped onto a dress, hat, etc

3. short for paperclip cartridge clip

4. the pointed flange on a horseshoe that secures it to the front part of the hoof

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verb

1. to hold together tightly, as with a clip

2. archaic  to embrace

Other Word Forms

• clippable adjective

Etymology

Origin of clip¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English clippen, cleppen, from Old Norse klippa “to clip, cut”

Origin of clip²

First recorded before 900; Middle English clippen, cluppen, cleppen “to embrace, grasp, hold,” Old English clyppan “to embrace, clasp, cherish”; cognate with Old Frisian kleppa

Example Sentences

On a recent day, her dining room was spread with newspaper clippings, an evacuation map and books critical of nuclear power.

From The Wall Street Journal

Instead, he takes a nice big touch and it's just the calm nature in which he just clips it straight in from 47.4 yards.

From BBC

In the since-deleted clip for musician Keli Holiday's new song, Ecstasy, Blue Wiggle Anthony Field and his nephew Dominic Field, who plays the Tree of Wisdom, could be seen dancing in the background.

From BBC

Some chase laughter, watching funny movies or comedy clips.

From The Wall Street Journal

They saw some clips of me online and realised I was half-English.

From BBC

Related Words

• mow
• prune
• shave
• shear
• snip
• trim