clip

¹

[klip]

verb (used with object)

clipped, clipped , clipt, clipping .

1. to cut, or cut off or out, as with shears.

   to clip a rose from a bush.

2. to trim by cutting.

   to clip a hedge.

3. to cut or trim the hair or fleece of; shear.

   to clip a poodle.

4. to pare the edge of (a coin).

5. to cut short; curtail.

   We clipped our visit by a week to return home earlier.

6. to pronounce rapidly, with precise articulation and with omission of certain sounds, as of unstressed vowels.

   an annoying habit of clipping his words.

7. to shorten (a word or phrase) by dropping one or more syllables.

8. Informal.,  to hit with a quick, sharp blow.

   He clipped him on the jaw with a sudden punch.

9. Slang.,  to take or get money from by dishonest means; swindle; rook.

verb (used without object)

clipped, clipped , clipt, clipping .

1. to clip or cut something.

2. to cut articles or pictures from a newspaper, magazine, etc.

3. to move swiftly.

   He clipped along the highway on his motorcycle.

4. Archaic.,  to fly rapidly.

noun

1. the act of clipping.

2. anything clipped off, especially the wool shorn at a single shearing of sheep.

3. the amount of wool shorn in one season.

4. (used with a plural verb),  clips, an instrument for clipping; shears.

5. film clip.

6. Informal.,  clipping.

7. Informal.,  a quick, sharp blow.

   a clip on the jaw.

8. rate; pace.

   at a rapid clip.

clip

²

[klip]

noun

1. a device that grips and holds tightly.

2. a metal or plastic clasp for holding together papers, letters, etc.

3. cartridge clip.

4. an article of jewelry or other decoration clipped onto clothing, shoes, hats, etc.

5. a flange on the upper surface of a horseshoe.

6. Also called lug. Shipbuilding.,  a short length of angle iron connecting and maintaining the angle between two members or surfaces.

7. Archaic.,  an embrace.

verb (used with or without object)

clipped, clipping 

1. to grip tightly; fasten with or as if with a clip.

2. to encircle; encompass.

3. Football.,  to block by illegally throwing the body across a player's legs from behind.

4. Archaic.,  to embrace or hug.

clip

¹

/ klɪp /

verb

1. (also intr) to cut, snip, or trim with or as if with scissors or shears, esp in order to shorten or remove a part

2. to punch (a hole) in something, esp a ticket

3. to curtail or cut short

4. to move a short section from (a film, etc)

5. to shorten (a word)

6. (intr) to trot or move rapidly, esp over a long distance

   a horse clipping along the road

7. informal,  to strike with a sharp, often slanting, blow

8. slang,  to obtain (money) by deception or cheating

9. slang,  to murder; execute

10. 1. to restrict someone's freedom

    2. to thwart someone's ambition

noun

1. the act or process of clipping

2. something clipped off

3. an extract from a film, newspaper, etc

4. informal,  a sharp, often slanting, blow

5. informal,  speed

   a rapid clip

6. the total quantity of wool shorn, as in one place, season, etc

7. another word for clipped form

clip

²

/ klɪp /

noun

1. any of various small implements used to hold loose articles together or to attach one article to another

2. an article of jewellery that can be clipped onto a dress, hat, etc

3. short for paperclip cartridge clip

4. the pointed flange on a horseshoe that secures it to the front part of the hoof

verb

1. to hold together tightly, as with a clip

2. archaic,  to embrace

Other Word Forms

• clippable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of clip¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English clippen, cleppen, from Old Norse klippa “to clip, cut”

Origin of clip²

First recorded before 900; Middle English clippen, cluppen, cleppen “to embrace, grasp, hold,” Old English clyppan “to embrace, clasp, cherish”; cognate with Old Frisian kleppa

Word History and Origins

Origin of clip¹

C12: from Old Norse klippa to cut; related to Low German klippen

Origin of clip²

Old English clyppan to embrace; related to Old Frisian kleppa, Lithuanian glebiu

Example Sentences

As for the Super Bowl controversy, the host deftly addressed it by showing a spliced together Fox News clip with hosts saying, “Bad Bunny is my favorite musician and he should be the next president.”

From Los Angeles Times

Another clip captured bursts of gunfire and an RPG hitting a residential building in the neighbourhood.

From BBC

Burke gained an online following by posting “Fortnite” clips to YouTube and pivoted to making his own music.

From Los Angeles Times

A clip circulating on social media, verified by the BBC, appears to show the moment police opened fire.

From BBC

She and other residents said they have noticed that clips of the riots and other violence from 2020 have recently been recirculating on social media and even some cable news shows.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• mow 
• prune 
• shave 
• shear 
• snip 
• trim