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Synonyms

slipper

1 American  
[slip-er] / ˈslɪp ər /

noun

  1. any light, low-cut shoe into which the foot may be easily slipped, for casual wear in the home, for dancing, etc.

verb (used with object)

  1. to strike or beat with a slipper.

slipper 2 American  
[slip-er] / ˈslɪp ər /

adjective

Older Use.

  1. slippery.

slipper British  
/ ˈslɪpə /

noun

  1. a light shoe of some soft material, for wearing around the house

  2. a woman's evening or dancing shoe

  3. informal cricket a fielder in the slip position

"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

verb

  1. informal (tr) to hit or beat with a slipper

"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

Other Word Forms

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."

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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.

James Slipper scored a try in his 200th Super Rugby match as the ACT Brumbies broke a 26-year hoodoo on Sunday with a 50-24 hammering of the Canterbury Crusaders.

From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026

"This is a real statement of intent from our playing teams," said MI London chair Oli Slipper.

From BBC • Jan. 13, 2026

"We're pleased to have reached an agreement with the Reliance team over our partnership in the Hundred franchise team," Surrey chairman Oli Slipper said.

From Barron's • Dec. 3, 2025

The opening seconds of the first Test saw the pair of them setting the agenda, Curry with a monstrous hit on James Slipper and Beirne swooping like a bird of prey to win a penalty.

From BBC • Aug. 2, 2025

On Saturday night we entered the jitterbug contest at the Silver Slipper, whether we could dance or not.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

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.