slipper
1 Americannoun
-
slippers
plural
verb (used with object)
adjective
noun
-
a light shoe of some soft material, for wearing around the house
-
a woman's evening or dancing shoe
-
informal cricket a fielder in the slip position
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of slipper1
First recorded in 1470–80; slip 1 + -er 1
Origin of slipper2
before 1000; Middle English sliper, Old English slipor; see slippery
Explanation
A slipper is a kind of indoor shoe that slips easily on and off your foot. You may prefer to walk around barefoot unless it's really cold, in which case you wear slippers. Slippers are cozy, and they're often warm too. A more old fashioned kind of slipper was a dress shoe that slipped on the foot, rather than being buckled or buttoned—like Cinderella's glass slipper. The word comes from the fact that you can slip a slipper on or off easily. It's related to the Old English slypescoh, literally "slip-shoe."
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.
See Examples For:
But in the 1800s, no one could make a YouTube video accusing another creator of copying their slipper pattern, or debate English vs.
From Slate ● Oct. 11, 2026
On the table in front of us is a fleece work jacket, covered in dog hair, along with a large, stained teddy bear and a single, dirty, grey slipper.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
Powertrain Naturally aspirated liquid-cooled 90-degree V4 engine, 1,158-cc displacement, counter-rotating crankshaft, semi dry sump lubrication; six-speed manual transmission with straight-cut gears and multi-plate clutch, with slipper action on overrun; chain drive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
The coachman produced a pink box with a glass slipper inside, telling them: "I've come to find a princess."
From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026
She gave me the slipper, and I hushed.
From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner
Suit trousers were paired with a leather jacket, a boater hat and ballet slippers.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
It's hard to imagine this man, quietly sipping a cup of tea in his slippers, commanding crowds of thousands.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
He rushed out of his house in shorts and slippers, calling his cousin on the way to come help.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
And, speaking of holy grails: Judy Garland’s ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz” fetched $32.5 million.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Her Cinderella slippers glittered brightly under the stage lights.
From "The Cinderella Ballet Mystery: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #4" by Carolyn Keene
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