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Synonyms

flipper

American  
[flip-er] / ˈflɪp ər /

noun

  1. a broad, flat limb, as of a seal or whale, especially adapted for swimming.

  2. Also called fin.  one of a pair of paddlelike devices, usually of rubber, worn on the feet as an aid in scuba diving and swimming.

  3. Theater. a narrow flat hinged or attached at right angles to a larger flat.

  4. Slang. the hand.

  5. someone or something that flips.

flipper British  
/ ˈflɪpə /

noun

  1. the flat broad limb of seals, whales, penguins, and other aquatic animals, specialized for swimming

  2. Also called: fin.  (often plural) either of a pair of rubber paddle-like devices worn on the feet as an aid in swimming, esp underwater

  3. cricket a ball bowled with backspin imparted by the action of the bowler's wrist

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
flipper Scientific  
/ flĭp′ər /

  1. A wide, flat limb adapted for swimming, found on aquatic animals such as whales, seals, and sea turtles. Flippers evolved from legs.

Etymology

Origin of flipper

First recorded in 1815–25; flip 1 + -er 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The 85-pound turtle earned her nickname from aquarium staffers when she quickly began eating after having her flipper amputated, and her enthusiasm for grub hasn’t waned.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026

Plus, the tail makes a handy beaver-burger flipper.

From Slate • Feb. 14, 2025

The development of a claw or a flipper requires many particular different genes.

From Salon • Oct. 14, 2024

"The flick of that of that flipper really shows how adaptable, how creative, these animals can be," said Dr Ari Friedlaender from the University of California Santa Cruz.

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2024

“Can you understand me, Seth? Slap your flipper three times if you grasp what I am saying.”

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.