flapper

American  

[flap-er] / ˈflæp ər /

noun

1. something broad and flat used for striking or for making a noise by striking.

2. a broad, flat, hinged or hanging piece; flap.

3. a young woman, especially one who, during the 1920s, behaved and dressed in a boldly unconventional manner.

4. a young bird just learning to fly.

5. Slang. the hand.

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flapper British  

/ ˈflæpə /

noun

1. a person or thing that flaps

2. (in the 1920s) a young woman, esp one flaunting her unconventional dress and behaviour

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Other Word Forms

• flapperdom noun
• flapperish adjective
• flapperism noun

Etymology

Origin of flapper

First recorded in 1560–70; flap + -er ¹

Explanation

A flapper was a certain type of woman in the United States in the 1920's. Flappers were known for their unconventional style and behavior. In the United States in the 1920s, a certain kind of woman emerged: the flapper. Flappers had their own hairstyles and ways of dressing, especially bobbed hair and short skirts. They liked to listen to jazz and generally embraced freedom from social conventions. None of this was considered "ladylike" at the time: it was new and shocking. Flappers were a sign of changing times and more freedom for women to express themselves. There's no doubt the flappers had a lot of style.

Example Sentences

“It,” employed in this way, first appeared in a 1927 novella by Elinor Glyn, which became a silent film starring the red-haired flapper Clara Bow, arguably history’s first “It Girl.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025

Even in the 1920s, there were high-profile flapper divorces and, everybody's like, oh my God, society is crumbling.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2024

The team made two robots: a large flapper robot modeled after a moth to better understand how the wings worked, which they deployed in water.

From Science Daily • Oct. 4, 2023

Zophres could have populated sets with beaded flapper dresses, cloche hats and other fashion cliches of the 1920s.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 3, 2023

She wore a short green flapper dress fringed at the hemline.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

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