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  • paper clip
    paper clip
    noun
    a flat wire or plastic clip shaped so that it can hold sheets of paper between two of its loops.
  • paper-clip
    paper-clip
    verb (used with object)
    to fasten together with one or more paper clips.
Synonyms

paper clip

1 American  

noun

  1. a flat wire or plastic clip shaped so that it can hold sheets of paper between two of its loops.

  2. a spring clamp for holding papers.

paper-clip 2 American  
[pey-per-klip] / ˈpeɪ pərˈklɪp /

verb (used with object)

paper-clipped, paper-clipping

  1. to fasten together with one or more paper clips.

    Paper-clip these letters and file them.

Etymology

Origin of paper clip1

First recorded in 1870–75

Origin of paper-clip2

First recorded in 1960–65

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.

Paper clip donations began to pour in from all around the globe.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

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.