skipper

¹ American  

[skip-er] / ˈskɪp ər /

noun

1. the master or captain of a vessel, especially of a small trading or fishing vessel.

2. a captain or leader, as of a team.

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verb (used with object)

skippers, present (3rd person singular) skippered, past participle, past skippering present participle

1. to act as skipper of.

skipper ² American  

[skip-er] / ˈskɪp ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that skips.

2. any of various insects that hop or fly with jerky motions.

3. any of numerous quick-flying, lepidopterous insects of the family Hesperiidae, closely related to the true butterflies.

4. saury.

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skipper ¹ British  

/ ˈskɪpə /

noun

1. the captain of any vessel

2. the captain of an aircraft

3. a manager or leader, as of a sporting team

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verb

1. to act as skipper (of)

skipper ² British  

/ ˈskɪpə /

noun

1. a person or thing that skips

2. any small butterfly of the family Hesperiidae, having a hairy mothlike body and erratic darting flight

3. another name for saury

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Other Word Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has skippered
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have skippered
  perfect
• am skippering
  progressive 1st person singular
• is skippering
  progressive 3rd person singular
• skippers
  singular 3rd person
• are skippering
  progressive
• skippering
  participle
• has been skippering
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• have been skippering
  perfect progressive

Past

• had skippered
  perfect
• had been skippering
  perfect progressive
• was skippering
  progressive singular
• skippered
  simple
• were skippering
  progressive plural
• skippered
  participle

Future

• will skipper
  simple
• will have skippered
  perfect
• will be skippering
  progressive
• will have been skippering
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of skipper¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Middle Dutch schipper, equivalent to schip ship ¹ + -er -er ¹

Origin of skipper²

1200–50; Middle English: locust. See skip ¹, -er ¹

Explanation

The person in charge of a ship or boat is the skipper. Another word for the skipper is the "captain," but skipper is so much more fun to say. Skipper is an informal name for the captain, a way to address the person who's at the helm of a boat or in command of a Navy ship. The word skipper comes from the Dutch schipper, from schip, or "ship." Sometimes this word is also used for the captain of a team or the pilot of an airplane.

Example Sentences

He told the jury at Hamilton Sheriff Court of the time he had confronted his skipper over his poor treatment.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

England's style of play under McCullum and skipper Stokes has come in for attention since they took charge of the Test team in 2022.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

Ibsen was 21 points ahead going into the final day of the season but ended up winning by 38 points thanks to a 14-point haul from his captain, and Manchester United's skipper, Bruno Fernandes.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

Newly hired manager Kurt Suzuki is the franchise’s seventh skipper in nine seasons—and the Angels only gave him a one-year deal.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

“We thought the skipper would have come back,” McCarthy grumbled as a clean-shaven Worsley jumped out onto the beach.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

Related Words

• captain
• sea captain