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• clip-on
  clip-on

  adjective

  designed to be clipped on easily, especially by a self-attached clip.
• clip on
  clip on

  verb

  (tr) to attach by means of a clip

clip-on

American  

[klip-on, -awn] / ˈklɪpˌɒn, -ˌɔn /

adjective

1. designed to be clipped on easily, especially by a self-attached clip.

   a clip-on bow tie.

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noun

1. a clip-on device, ornament, or the like.

clip on British  

verb

1. (tr) to attach by means of a clip

2. (intr) to be attached by means of a clip

   this clips on here

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adjective

1. designed to be attached by means of a clip

   a clip-on bow tie

plural noun

1. sunglasses designed to be clipped on to a person's spectacles

Etymology

Origin of clip-on

First recorded in 1905–10; adj., noun use of verb phrase clip on

Example Sentences

Cenci owns a company that sells mermaid clip-on hair extensions and flew in from New Jersey.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

It was a clip-on MP3 player without a screen for just $49.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

In a recent conversation on LinkedIn by some TV professionals, one poured scorn on young people on TikTok and YouTube for "not knowing" how to use clip-on mics.

From BBC • Sep. 10, 2025

Some storage baskets have built-in labels, but you can also buy clip-on basket labels for just a few dollars.

From Salon • Aug. 6, 2022

Inside it he kept his tiny black comb and scraps of paper with old and new lists of foods Mother had asked for, and a clip-on pen that poked out near the color less button.

From "Tasting the Sky" by Ibtisam Barakat